Surfing with Spike
by elven-princess88
Summary: Buffy's searching for info on a demon on the internet, but what will she discover when she accidently logs into our universes internet? *COMPLETE*
1. Surfing

NOMINATED IN THE SPUFFY AWARDS! If you like this fic, please vote for it at the Spuffy awards. The address  
is in my author profile,  
  
TITLE: Surfing with Spike REVIEWS: Pretty please with sugar on top? This is the first fanfiction I've ever sent out, so please tell me how I did. Also, should I continue the story? Say what happens after? I don't care if you don't want me to, just please - tell me! DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, just tell me where it's going. DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Neither is AOL (though why anyone would want it in the first place.) NOTE: This is a response to a challenge I found a while ago. I kinda took a bit of liberty with it, and I can't remember who's it was, but here were the requirements:  
  
"Buffy gets an internet browser that connects her to our universe's internet. She winds up surfing with Spike. Must include: mentions of at least one internet fan club dedicated to Buffy/Angel (such as SPORKS or the Giles Home Appreciation Society), one of the most bizarre (in the author's opinion) fanfiction occurrences to be found (relationship parings, plotlines, filk, crossovers, challenges even, all are fair game)."  
*******  
  
"Wow," Willow whispered, staring at the package in her hands.  
  
"It's just a new browser Will, nothing to get excited about," Buffy said, laughing at the look of wonder on her friend's face.  
  
"Just a new browser? Buffy, this is AOL!"  
  
"I've never heard of them."  
  
"Well, neither had I, but they must be good. Look here, it says "Connecting millions of people worldwide," so it's pretty darn popular!"  
  
"Ok, ok. Just make sure you install it quick, 'cause God knows we need to research that demon as soon as we can."  
  
**********  
  
Buffy had sat through watching Willow install this thing for the last hour, and now it was time for her give it a whirl. As Willow had had to go out, Buffy was left surfing with, of all people, Spike.  
  
"I don't know why you're so fussed, luv. I'm as good a company as that friend of yours."  
  
"Whatever, Spike. Lets just do this quickly so you can go home,"  
  
Carefully, Buffy double-clicked on the little triangular symbol that said "AOL", and logged on. She then carefully selected the search bar, and typed in "Mohra demon".  
  
"Mohra demon? Is that the thing that attacked you last night?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yeah. Strong little thing it was too."  
  
Buffy smiled as the search engine displayed the results.  
  
"1492 matches! I know Willow said that you can find anything on the net, but are there really that many people who know enough about demons to make websites on them?"  
  
Spike shrugged. "Must be," he muttered. "Click the first one. The BATA, it says it's called. BATA? What sort of name is that?!"  
  
"Must be short for something. Guess we're about to find out," she said, as she clicked on the blue link.  
  
The screen changed into the dark blue background that was the BATA website, as Buffy registered the title at the top of the screen.  
  
"Buffy and Angel: Together Always?" she said, confused. "It doesn't mean like."  
  
"You and the poof? Guess so, considering the picture."  
  
Buffy looked at the picture at the side of the screen. It was of her. Her sitting with Angel in the park. Buffy remembered that day. It was just after Willow had been held hostage by the Mayor, and just before Angel had told her he was leaving. She smiled sadly at the memory of that day, then jolted back to reality as she wondered how the hell that picture had got there.  
  
"Look at the content list," she said suddenly. "Fanfiction, episode guide, actor profiles. what's this all about?"  
  
"Well, you won't know till you click on it," Spike commented, pointing at the first link on the list. "Try this one - fanfiction."  
  
Buffy carefully clicked it, and watched as the screen changed to a list of.. titles? Frowning slightly, she chose one called "Hands off my Slayer!" and then scanned through the page that followed. About half-way through she let out a cry of disgust.  
  
"Ugh! Eew, eeew!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"This page. it has stuff written on it about me. me KISSING Giles!"  
  
"What?! Really? Lemme read!!!"  
  
"NO!!!" Buffy screamed, frantically pressing the back button until she ended up back on the main page. After a moment she said, "Now that was gross. Why is there even a website about me in the first place?" She sighed, the said, "Which one of these links do you think'll tell me about the Mohra demon? I mean, the search engine said this had info on it, so."  
  
"What about the Episode Guides. Dunno what it's about, but it might help."  
  
Buffy clicked on the link, and was amazed to find that it led to a list of seasons.  
  
"Why is there a list of seasons here? Isn't that like what you have in tv shows?"  
  
"Yeah, which reminds me, I'm missing Passions to do this with you, so hurry up and choose something!"  
  
She randomly clicked one, and found it to be Season 4. After briefly scanning the page, she found a link with the word Mohra in its description.  
  
"I've found it!" she said excitedly. "It says here "Buffy goes to visit Angel in LA. She's about to leave, when suddenly they are attacked by a Mohra demon, and everything changes.". Oh course! How could I have been so stupid! That day a couple of years ago when I went to LA - Angel was attacked by a Mohra demon. I guess that means I'll have to go see him, ask him what he knows about them. But how did this site know about it? And what does it mean "And everything changes."? Nothing changed. What the hell is going on?"  
  
Angrily, she clicked on the link, and found it led to a page that went on, in detail, about her life. Then she noticed something was wrong.  
  
"What, what's it going on about?" she asked, breathlessly. "What does it mean, Angel turned human? That. what?"  
  
"Dunno, luv. Betcha he does though."  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said, angrily, "well, I wanna know too."  
  
With that, she stormed out of the house, intent on finding out just what was going on.  
  
So, shall I continue? Also, I'm torn between making this Buffy/Angel or Spuffy. What do you think? PLEASE R/R!!!! Thanks. 


	2. In LA

Disclaimer: Not mine. Everything belongs to the God Almighty, Mr Joss Whedon.  
  
Thanks to everyone for the reviews. They were all great. Please R/R for this one too! And if anyone would beta read these for me, please email me (elven_princess88@yahoo.co.uk).  
  
Can't wait till the 16th! I've been waiting all year for 7th Season to start. Lets hope for a Spuffy filled season (though it doesn't look very hopeful the way the last season ended) Oh well. Happy New Year, Everyone!!!  
  
*******  
  
Buffy stared blankly out of the window, watching the trees fly by. A part of her wondered what she was doing. Why was she going to see him? That never ended well. She was just going to cause herself more pain and heartache, and she just couldn't deal with that right now, not with everything else that was going on. Yet, she was still sitting there, in this dingy bus, on her way to LA.  
  
She didn't really understand what she was going to say to him anyway. She knew she needed to ask him about the Mohra demons. If he had had a run in with them before, he might be able to tell her something useful, and the resources Giles had left them had told them squat. She did need to talk to him about that. But what about what she had seen, on that website? She couldn't understand why there was a website about her, in the first place. It didn't make sense. She'd think she was going crazy if Spike hadn't seen it as well. Why did it go on about Angel being human? She knew people always said "Don't believe everything you read on the internet," but it still unnerved her.  
  
She felt the bus slow down, and realised it was stopping. She stared out of the window once more, looking at the drab walls of the bus station.  
  
"It's now or never," she thought quietly. Shakily, she got to her feet, and stepped off the bus.  
  
**********  
  
Buffy slowly walked down the steps of the hotel. She had never been here before, and she had to admit, Angel sure had a good place.  
  
Purposefully, she strode up to the front desk and rang the bell. After a moment, a familiar brown head appeared from the doorway and said, in an overly cheery voice:  
  
"Angel Investigations, we help the help. Oh, hey Buffy. Do you wanna talk to Angel?"  
  
"Yeah. Is he around?"  
  
"No. He went out to fight some snot demon or something. Do you wanna leave him a message?"  
  
"No, I'll just wait, if that's alright."  
  
"Sure, just don't make too much noise. That demon left me the mother of all headaches. You know, if I ever meet those Powers That Be, I'm gonna give them a hard kick up the ass for those visions they put me through."  
  
Buffy smiled, and turned to sit down. Then she stopped, and turned back, as though a struck by a sudden thought.  
  
"Cordy, do you have a computer?"  
  
**********  
  
Buffy really didn't know why she was doing this. She knew she had seen that website, she knew it, but she just wanted to make sure. What if she confronted Angel, and it was nothing? He'd tell her it was just a dream, that she shouldn't worry about it. She didn't want him to think she was being stupid. She had to be sure.  
  
She carefully typed the word Mohra into the search bar, and clicked search. After a moment, the screen displayed various different websites, but something wasn't right. To start with, there were only 21 matches, but when she'd searched before, there had been hundreds of them. And when she scanned the list of links, the BATA didn't appear anywhere. There were only links to demon databases, and that sort of thing. The sort of thing you'd expect to see. There was nothing like she'd seen before.  
  
Frustrated, she logged off. She was so sure she'd seen it, but she couldn't have. If she had, why wouldn't it be there now? She must have dreamed it. Though it was kinda weird for a dream. Why would she dream about researching? She did enough of that in real life, she didn't need to dream about it as well. And WHY would she dream about researching with Spike, of all people? It wasn't as if he hadn't been plaguing her dreams enough of late. NOT that she was going to think about that. Thinking about those thoughts made them real, and them being real was disgusting. Now was the time to think about what she was to do when Angel arrived, not the time to think about him.  
  
From what seemed like a world away, she heard Cordy say, "Hi Angel. You'll never guess who's here!"  
  
"It's now or never," Buffy thought. Bracing herself she got out of the chair, and strode into the hallway.  
  
"Buffy," Angel said. He looked very shocked.  
  
"Hello to you too."  
  
"Sorry, I was just a little surprised to see you."  
  
"That's alright."  
  
There was a long silence, with Angel looking at Buffy expectantly, and Buffy looking at her shoes.  
  
After a very pregnant pause, Angel said, "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"  
  
"Oh, um, yeah. Yes. Um, a few nights ago I was out patrolling when I was attacked by a Mohra demon."  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, but we've been researched this thing for days, and we've found nothing about it. I thought maybe you might know something." Buffy looked up at Angel, hopefully.  
  
"Yeah, I have some books. I can go get them for you if you'd like."  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
"I'll just be a minute."  
  
As Angel disappeared into the office, Buffy wondered if she should ask him. If she didn't ask him, she'd be wondering about it forever. But if she did ask him, she could end up looking really stupid. And he obviously wasn't human now. She was just being stupid, making something out of nothing.  
  
Angel came sweeping back into the room, and handed Buffy a few very thick, very old looking books.  
  
"It's all in there," he said.  
  
"Okay, thanks." Buffy smiled, but didn't move.  
  
"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"  
  
"What?" She couldn't ask him. She just couldn't. "Oh, no. There's nothing."  
  
"It's just, you could have asked me about those demons on the phone. I just thought maybe there was another reason you came down here."  
  
"Oh, there is!" She couldn't. She couldn't. "I wanted to. um, wanted to see. my dad! I haven't seen him in a long time and I thought maybe I could stop by and see him!"  
  
"Doesn't your dad live in Spain now?"  
  
"Oh! Yeah, yeah he. he does, but I completely forgot till I was already half way down here, so I thought, what the heck!"  
  
Angel gave her a penetrating look, and then said, "Well, if you're sure that's everything."  
  
"Yeah, yeah it is." Buffy gave him a half-hearted smile before saying, "Well, I'd better go. Don't want to get home too late, I gotta get back for Dawn"  
  
"Maybe I'll see you soon?"  
  
"Yeah. Maybe."  
  
Okay, so what do you guys think? PLEASE R/R! I found this kinda hard to write, so any comment will be REALLY appreciated 


	3. Big Brother

Disclaimer: Not mine. It all belongs to the God Almighty, Joss Whedon. The other TV shows mentioned aren't mine either.  
  
Timeline: Early Season 6. After Tabula Rasa, before Smashed.  
  
Thanks again everyone for the reviews! I really appreciate every one! I've got a couple of comments for some people:  
  
Jan - I didn't actually know where it was going at all before I posted it, but soon after I did I figured out all that was going to happen, and it was glaringly obvious which couple it needed to be. I'm a shipper of both pairings, and I wasn't teasing my readers. I was asking for their opinion. I didn't need their opinions in the end, but I wasn't trying to tease anyone, and I'm really sorry if I upset anyone by doing it.  
  
White Wolf 3 - Oops! She would have, wouldn't she? *blushes* See, that's why I need a beta reader, to stop me from doing stuff like that. Anyone???  
  
Ello - Only 14 days till the new season starts and counting. You can bet the minute I see them they'll be appearing on here in some way. especially if they aren't as Spuffy as they should be (  
  
scapergirl - Glad you thought it was worth the wait. You're more patient than I would've been!  
  
Thanks also to sita, Green-Eyed-Goddess, Spuffygirl, A Reviewer, Teri, JSlayerUK, Rachel, raine77, Star, arba, Cara, Sweatermonkey, Shelby, fastpilot, Aeryn, Graffiti, D@rk_Angel, no_1_in_particular, Michelle, NevermindDaria, FanOfFaith, ~fangfacey~, LiVe ThE nIgHtMaRe, and Ecolea. *******  
  
"Here it is!" Willow grinned as she looked up from the book she was reading, triumph on her face. The gang were in the Magic Box, looking through the books Angel had given them. They had been looking since Buffy had got back, but the books hadn't been as helpful as Angel had said they would be.  
  
"Oh, thank God!" Xander shut his book with a bang. "I know Angel was trying to help, but couldn't he have given us a page number or something?"  
  
Buffy wandered over to the table where the others sat. "So, Will, what does it say?"  
  
"One of the more deadly of the assassin demons is the Mohra demon. The Mohra demon hunts down the warriors of the Powers that Be, intent on lessening their number for The End of Days. They need vast quantities of salt to live, yet are extremely hard to kill, as their blood has regenerative powers, and any serious wounds will only make them stronger. It keeps regenerating its life until the dark future it envisions for the world is upon us. The only way to slay the beast is to bring darkness to the thousand eyes." Willow looked up from the book. "What does that mean?"  
  
"Not a clue." Buffy's face was creased in confusion. "What about this End of Days thingy? What does it say about that?"  
  
"Nothing. Just that that's what this demon's waiting for."  
  
"Well, if this demon's waiting for it, it must be important, right? Surely it says something about it. I mean, Angel said it was all in there, so."  
  
"Well, I'll look, but it might take a while. It's a pretty thick book."  
  
"Oh, okay. Thanks, Will." Buffy smiled at her friend, then stood up and wandered back over to the training room.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute Buffy! I thought you and Spike looked for stuff about that demon on the internet last night?"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Yeah, we did."  
  
"Well, did you find anything? Maybe there's something about the End of Days on there."  
  
"The thing is, I did find something, but. it wasn't what I thought I'd find."  
  
"What was it, Buff?" Xander looked worriedly over at Buffy. "Was it something bad?"  
  
"No! No, it was just weird." She walked back over to the table, and sank back down into the chair. "I went onto this website, and it had. it was about us. It had pictures of us, of me and Angel, and it had stories written about us, and like. descriptions of stuff that had happened to us. It was really weird."  
  
"It must have been one of those TV dimension thingies."  
  
Everyone looked over at Anya. "What?"  
  
"Well, you know, everything on TV is real, but in another dimension. It's like the TV is a window into these dimensions, and people watch them as cheap entertainment."  
  
"What, so *everything* on TV is real?" Xander stared at his girlfriend, disbelief on his face. "Even the cartoons?"  
  
"Yes, but in a different dimension. Like The Rugrats is in the world of perpetual youth, and The Simpsons is in this dimension where everyone's yellow. And Popstars is in that world where no-one can sing."  
  
"But that doesn't make sense," Willow said, obviously confused. "A lot of shows take place in places here. In this dimension."  
  
"Well, a lot of them come from the world without shrimp. Haven't you ever wondered why no-one EVER eats shrimp on TV? Either that or they're from this really weird dimension that's exactly like ours, except there's no demons or magic or anything."  
  
"Woah, wouldn't we all love to live there!" Buffy muttered under her breath, before saying, "So, some people in some dimension watch *us*? As *entertainment*?"  
  
"What?!" Xander looked about in a panic. "So there are people watching us RIGHT NOW!"  
  
"Don't be silly, Xander. They don't watch us twenty four - seven. That would get boring, and ratings would drop. It's like a crystal ball. They see what's going to happen to us in the future. If anyone was watching this, it would've been last year, or even earlier."  
  
"So a bunch of strangers know what's going to happen to me months before I do?"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
*So that explains it,* Buffy thought. *Maybe that thing with Angel hasn't happened yet. Maybe he's going to be human in a year or two, and it was only there because they're ahead of us. It's a good thing I didn't mention it, then.*  
  
"But this still doesn't explain why I found a website about this, this. TV show on Will's computer." Buffy looked round at the group, trying to take it all in. "And another thing. when I looked it up on Cordy's computer, I couldn't find it. It wasn't there."  
  
"Well, the browser you used was new," Willow said, thoughtfully, "and it said on the box it was really popular, "Used by millions of people world- wide", but I'd never heard of it before. Maybe. maybe it's a browser from whatever dimension watches us on TV, and it connects to their internet. That's why you found all these sites you couldn't find on a different machine."  
  
"Yeah, that's probably it."  
  
"Do you think I should take it back?" Willow asked, concerned.  
  
"No! I think maybe it'll be fun to see just what people think of our lives, you know?"  
  
"You shouldn't mess with that," Anya said, in a serious tone Buffy had never heard her use before. "It's dangerous. If you start messing with other dimensions, God knows what could happen."  
  
"I'm not gonna mess," Buffy said. "I'm just gonna. look."  
  
**********  
  
Buffy sat down at the computer, with Spike, once again, at her side. Willow was busy researching, and she had a feeling that the others would try to stop her from doing this. Not that there was any reason for them to stop her anyway. It wasn't as if she was going to change anything, she was just going to have a look.  
  
"So, what are we looking for today, luv?" Spike asked, as she logged in.  
  
"More stuff like we found yesterday. I want to know all about this, this TV show thing." She had already explained to him all that had been said at the Magic Box. She carefully clicked in the search bar, and then asked, "What should I search for?"  
  
"Well, if you think this show is about us, why don't you try your name?"  
  
"Okay." Buffy quickly typed in "Buffy Summers" and clicked search. A few seconds later a list of sites appeared, and Buffy was overwhelmed by just how many there were.  
  
"123,293 matches?" she asked, incredulously.  
  
"Guess you're pretty well known in this dimension, pet."  
  
"Guess I am," she said to herself, before scanning the list. "How about this one - The Buffy Summers Fan Club."  
  
She clicked on the link, and was taken to a screen with a huge picture of her in the centre, surrounded by yet more links.  
  
"What do you think we should go on?" Buffy asked, as she moved the mouse distractedly round the screen. "Message Boards? Episode Guides? Quizzes?"  
  
"How about a quiz, luv? If it's about your life, you should be able to get at least a few right."  
  
Buffy clicked on the link that said quizzes, and then studied the choices she was given.  
  
"Okay then, we can have a quiz about any one of the 6 seasons, or one about one of us. I'll try. one about me. That should be nice and easy, right?"  
  
As the first question appeared in front of her, Buffy gave a smug little grin. "Well, this is hard! "What is the name of Buffy's pet pig? A) Mr Gordy B) Mr Gordo C) Mr Pinky or D) Pork Chops."" She clicked on B, and laughed in triumph as she got it right. Then her grin faded as she saw the next question. ""When Buffy first met Cordelia, what was the lesson they were in about?" How the hell is ANYONE supposed to know that?!"  
  
**********  
  
"Wrong again, Slayer" Spike said with a grin as Buffy got her tenth and final question wrong.  
  
Buffy stared at her score angrily. "3 out of 10 - a fair weather fan?! How could I have only got 3 OUT OF 10?! The quiz was about ME!"  
  
"Guess you don't know yourself as well as you thought, luv."  
  
"Shut up, Spike." Buffy clicked back onto the main page. "That wasn't fair. It was impossible. No-one could have got a high score with questions that hard."  
  
"So, where to next?"  
  
"How about this one?" Buffy moved the mouse to hover over a link labelled OMWF. "What do you think that means?"  
  
"Dunno, luv. Why don't we have a look?"  
  
Buffy clicked it, and then studied her new options. She could choose to view The Plot, The Script, The Lyrics, or Media Files.  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Well, how about the plot? Might be able to see what it's about."  
  
Buffy clicked on the link, and then read aloud what she saw. "While the Scoobies go about their daily lives, a new demon is in town which makes everyone start singing and dancing. As people start letting out their true feelings, Dawn is kidnapped by the demon, who plans to take her to hell and make her his bride." Buffy looked excitedly at Spike. "This is what happened last week! This is an episode about all the singing and dancing and stuff that happened last week! Oh my God, I sang on TV! Do you think I sounded okay?"  
  
"Well, maybe there's some clips or something. Then you could hear for yourself."  
  
"Yeah." Buffy searched around the site until she found some. "Here. A mixture of clips from some of the best songs. Lets listen to this." She downloaded the file, adjusted the speakers, and then pressed play.  
  
She flinched as her voice came booming out of the speakers, singing about slaying.  
  
"Oh my God, I sound awful! How could they play that on TV? I probably broke all the windows of the people who were watching!"  
  
"You don't sound awful."  
  
"Yes I do! It's screechy and tuneless and awful!"  
  
"Buffy," Spike said, taking her hands in his. "It's beautiful."  
  
"Really?" Buffy asked, trying to ignore the shivers that were flying up and down her arm.  
  
"Really," Spike said. He sounded so serious Buffy didn't want to argue. She smiled weakly at him, and reached to turn off the music.  
  
"So, what are we going to do now, luv?" Spike asked.  
  
Buffy clicked the back button until she got back to the main page, then scanned the links again. "Ooh, buy the box sets!"  
  
"Buffy." Spike said, warningly. Buffy ignored him and clicked the link.  
  
"Look, they're only $20 each, and seasons 5 and 6 are buy one get one free!"  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"There are two to a season, so that'll only cost me $40 for both."  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can't buy them!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, it's another dimension for one thing. How are they going to get here?"  
  
"Well, this browser got here, didn't it? So maybe these'll get here as well." Buffy noticed Spike exasperated expression, and added, "I really want to know what happens in them."  
  
"Buffy," Spike said slowly, as though talking to a very small child, "this is about your life. I think you already know what happens."  
  
"Yeah, but I want to see how people in this other dimension see us." And with that, Buffy filled out the order form, and sent it off.  
  
"There! Now we'll be able to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the privacy of our own home in 3 to 5 working days, providing cross dimension delivery doesn't take longer. Do you think the postage will be more, cos of the whole different dimension thing?"  
  
Spike just stared at her.  
  
"Look, I'm just curious. I know what Anya said about messing with stuff like this, but I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going to watch a few episodes of my life, all of which have happened to me, so it's not like I'm going to see what's going to happen in the future or anything."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"And don't tell anyone about this! If they find out I'm gonna watch some of this show, they'll have a freak out or something, so DON'T tell them!"  
  
"Okay, Slayer. My lips are sealed."  
  
"Good. Well, I'd better go. I've gotta patrol, look for that Mohra demon."  
  
"Do you want me to come with?"  
  
"Yeah, that'd be nice."  
  
Buffy quickly logged off the computer, grabbed her coat, and headed off into the night, Spike at her heel. She couldn't wait until the videos came. Then the fun would begin.  
  
A/N - Please R/R. If any of this is too English, please tell me! I'm not sure if you have Popstars in America, but if you don't you probably have something similar. It's one of those shows where they audition people to be in a pop group, none of which can sing, and the viewers vote for who should be in a band.  
  
Thanks for everyone's suggestions about what they should come across on the net. Some of them are just too good to not use. Watch this space! Any other suggestions would be really appreciated as well! Thanks! 


	4. Video Fest

Disclaimer: Not mine. Everything belongs, as always, to the God Almighty, Joss Whedon.  
  
A/N: I know this chapter's a bit late, but school's started up again, and all the teachers seem to think now is the perfect time to give everyone as many tests and assignments as humanly possible. (  
  
To everyone I'm just going to say this: Yes, I know what's going to happen, and no, I'm not going to tell you!  
  
Some reviewers (namely Green) asked if Buffy has one of those international decoder things so she can watch the vids. Well, I can confirm that she recently installed one, on the request of Spike, who was sick of waiting for his favourite TV shows to come out on DVD in America. (Hey, I'm the writer, I can do what I like!)  
  
And as everyone's desperate for the fanfic chapter, here it is. soon. I promise. Probably the next chapter, or the one after that. (  
  
Things said on TV are in these ********  
  
Buffy was collapsed on the couch, watching TV. It had been 6 days since she had ordered the videos, and they still hadn't come. She was starting to think that Spike had been right, and that it was impossible for you to order things from another dimension over the internet..  
  
She heard the phone ring, and, with a lot of effort, dragged herself off the sofa, and across the room to answer it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Buffy heard Willow's cheery voice coming from the other end. "Hi Buffy. It's me."  
  
"Hi Willow. Have you found anything about this End of Days thing yet?"  
  
"A little. It says here that the End of Days is started by a "Sacred Death." I'm not really sure what that means, though. The book isn't very clear. Do you have any clue what it could be?"  
  
"Um, I don't know. A ritual of some sort, I guess."  
  
"Yeah, that makes sense ."  
  
Buffy heard knocking coming from the hallway.  
  
"Hold on a minute, Will. There's someone at the door."  
  
Buffy placed the phone carefully down on the table, and went to answer it. Outside stood a delivery boy holding a large package.  
  
"Delivery for a Miss Buffy Summers."  
  
Buffy signed for the package, and shut the door. When she got inside, she ripped open the brown parcel to find inside four brightly coloured boxes with pictures of her on the front. She picked out the first one, and studied it carefully. It said on the front "Season Five, Episodes 1 - 11." She turned it over to find three videos tucked inside.  
  
Grinning, she raced back to the phone and said, "Will, I have to go."  
  
"Why? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. I just gotta go patrol, is all. I mean, who says that that Mohra demon lurks at night. Maybe it's out there right now, terrorising somebody. I mean, I haven't found anything so far, so."  
  
"Yeah, okay. Just be careful."  
  
"I will. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Buffy hung up the phone, waited a few seconds, and then picked up the receiver once more. She dialled a number, then waited impatiently for the other person to pick up.  
  
"Hello? Spike?"  
  
**********  
  
Buffy and Spike were sat on the sofa, watching themselves on the screen, sitting on the sofa.  
  
"Can you believe it? Count Famous has heard of me."  
  
"Okay," Buffy said. "This is beyond creepy."  
  
"I gotta admit, luv, this is kind of strange."  
  
"It's so cool though. I mean, those people who watched this got to see things that I never got to see, even though I was here, living it. And now I get to see it too."  
  
Buffy settled back into the sofa, making sure she was settled as far away from Spike as possible. She kept telling herself the only reason she had asked Spike to come watch these with her was because the others wouldn't have understood. But a part of her kept wondering if she would have still asked him first, even if the others had wanted to come. The answer scared her more than any demon she had ever faced.  
  
She smiled as another scene she didn't recognise came on. She was really enjoying this. She was getting to see all the little things that happened to her friends that they didn't tell her about. Willow was doing some work for Giles, just like she always used to. Buffy longed for that time, the time where everything was happy, and Giles didn't have a single thought about returning to England.  
  
"I'm going back to England"  
  
"What?" Buffy stared at the screen in disbelief. As the scene unfolded in front of her eyes, Buffy was speechless. He had been thinking about it, even then. He'd been planning it, and he didn't mention it. Not a word.  
  
"What's wrong Slayer?" Spike looked at Buffy, concerned.  
  
"It's just. Giles left me, and he left me when I needed him the most. And I thought it was just a sudden thing, you know. Like, "Hey, I'm bored of America! I think I'll just go home now!" But it wasn't. He'd been planning it since over a year ago. I just can't believe it."  
  
Spike just looked at her. He really wanted to help, but he didn't really know what to do. Or what to say. Buffy smiled slightly. It felt so strange that her once sworn enemy was upset because she was upset. What was stranger was that she didn't want him feeling that way.  
  
She put on a brave smile and said, "Maybe seeing what my friends get up to when I'm not around isn't so fun after all."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy watched the rest of the episode in silence. As she watched, she had a strange feeling in the back of her mind. She wanted to say that everything was exactly as she remembered it. except it wasn't. Something she remembered so clearly, just wasn't there. Where was Dawn? She knew she hadn't really been there before about a year ago, but she didn't really believe it. Not until she saw it there in front of her eyes.  
  
"You're very quiet, luv. Anything bothering you?"  
  
"No." Buffy paused for a moment. "Yes. It's just. Dawn was here. I remember it. I remember her seeing my bite from Dracula at breakfast, and me having to bribe her to keep her quiet. I remember her hanging with us at the beach because Mom had to go out, and she wouldn't let me leave her in the house alone. I remember so much, but it isn't here. It wasn't real."  
  
"It was real to you."  
  
Buffy smiled up at Spike. It was strange how even a soulless evil thing like Spike could say something sweet sometimes. Now she thought about it, he said sweet things to her a lot of the time, she had just never acknowledged them before now. Maybe it was time she did.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy was having a great time. Once she had got used to seeing herself on her TV screen, this had turned out to be a really fun evening. She could see why this show was so popular. She didn't think anyone could resist laughing at Harmony, prancing around like she was the next Big Bad. She kinda felt bad though. She had really been treating Dawn badly back then.  
  
She turned her attention back to the screen, and watched Riley and Xander talking.  
  
"Buffy's like nobody else in the world."  
  
Buffy couldn't help but grin at the jealous glint in Spike's eye when he said that, but she tried to ignore it. Instead she concentrated on the wonderful things Riley was saying about her. If that didn't make her feel good, nothing would.  
  
"But she doesn't love me."  
  
For the second time that evening, Buffy stared at the screen in disbelief. What did he mean, she didn't love him?! Of course she loved him. Not like she loved Angel, she realised that now, but still, she loved him more than anything else at the time, and he didn't even believe it. And then she came back in the room and he hugged her, like everything was just perfectly fine? And Xander! Couldn't he have mentioned something to her? At least given her a hint about what was going on? Didn't he at least owe her that much?  
  
"You alright Buffy?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
Spike looked away, then looked back and said, "Soldier Boy didn't deserve you, you know."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe I was the one who didn't deserve him."  
  
"You don't believe that, do you?"  
  
Buffy just looked at him.  
  
"Cos, of course, you're the one who didn't deserve him. I mean, he was the perfect boyfriend, what with the secret government agency that experimented on demons, and the not telling you something was wrong, and the paying vampires to bite him, and the leaving without giving you so much as a chance to fix things. Yeah, you're right. You're the one who was at fault."  
  
Buffy stopped worrying so much then. Spike was right, for once. She never thought she'd actually ever think that, but it was true. It wasn't her fault that she and Riley had broken up.  
  
She suddenly realised how close she had got to Spike over the last couple of hours. To start with, they had both been perched on either end of the couch. Now, there were mere inches between them. Buffy decided that it wouldn't matter too much if they got a little bit closer. She wriggled slightly towards him, and rested her head on his shoulder. He stiffened, as though he expected her to punch him any second, then relaxed and put his arm around her. Buffy surprised even herself when she let it stay there.  
  
*******  
  
"Hanging out all day, in that mouldy old crypt. You just know he's doing something evil."  
  
*This is it,* Buffy thought with a grin. *I'm going to find out just what Spike gets up to when he's alone.*  
  
"Is it bigger than a bread box?"  
  
Buffy burst out laughing.  
  
"Oh my God! You played 20 Questions with Harmony?!"  
  
"Yeah. So?"  
  
"It's just YOU. Played 20 QUESTIONS. With HARMONY! Is there any part of that sentence that *isn't* funny?"  
  
"Well, I was bored! It wasn't like I could go out or anything, and it was rerun season."  
  
"So, you, what? Decided you would play the evil and torturous game that is 20 Questions?!"  
  
"Hey, don't laugh. I could beat you at a game any day."  
  
"Wanna bet?"  
  
"Yeah. Actually I do."  
  
"Well, you're not getting one. I'm not sad enough to play 20 Questions."  
  
"Take that back!"  
  
"Make me!"  
  
Spike leapt towards Buffy. Buffy was ready to see him throw his head back with chip-induced pain when. he started to tickle her.  
  
"No! Spike, stop! NO! NO!" Buffy shook with laughter, as she fell off the couch and onto the floor.  
  
"Not until you take it back."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then I'm not stopping!"  
  
"Stop it! This isn't fair!"  
  
"Didn't know you were so ticklish, luv."  
  
"Please! No! No! Plea-ease!"  
  
"Was that begging I just heard? I'll stop, when you take it back!"  
  
"Never!"  
  
Buffy suddenly heard feet stomping down the stairs. She pushed Spike away and quickly clambered back onto the couch, just as Dawn stepped into the living room.  
  
"What are you guys doing?"  
  
"Nothing," Buffy said quickly. A little too quickly. "We were just watching TV."  
  
"Well, can you keep the "nothing" down, cos I've got a ton of Math homework to do."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Okay, then." Dawn gave a superior little grin to Spike before bounding up the stairs back to her room, two at a time.  
  
Buffy sat stiffly on the couch, far away from Spike once more. It was only after a moment that she realised something.  
  
"Spike," she said slowly. "I don't think Dawn was doing her Math homework."  
  
"Why not, luv?"  
  
"Because it's Friday night. How many 15 year olds do you know who do their homework on a Friday night?"  
  
"Looks like Lil Bit was snooping, trying to find out what we were up to. Not that we *were* up to anything," he added quickly, seeing the look on Buffy's face.  
  
"Uh, and now we've missed the end. Is there another one on this tape?"  
  
Spike leaned over and grabbed the box.  
  
"Nope, that's it. Do you want to watch the next one?"  
  
"Not tonight."  
  
"Well, I guess I'd better be going then."  
  
"No!"  
  
Spike raised his eyebrow at her.  
  
"I just mean, we could go on the internet again, if you want?"  
  
"Okay then."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy and Spike settled down in front of the computer screen for the third time. When they had logged on, Buffy looked over at Spike.  
  
"What shall we search for today?"  
  
"Well, we've already searched for you. Why don't we search for stuff on me?"  
  
Buffy typed "Spike" into the search bar and pressed enter. She didn't really expect to find anything. She could understand people making websites about her, but people making websites about Spike?!  
  
Her jaw dropped open as she saw the list of links.  
  
"267,362 matches. Looks like I'm more popular than you were, Slayer."  
  
"Oh, shut up and choose one."  
  
"I will then."  
  
Spike moved the mouse around the screen, then clicked on one which read "Spikeaholics."  
  
Buffy's eyes went wide when the page loaded.  
  
"Spikeaholics Not So Anonymous?! Who would like YOU enough to call themselves a Spikeaholic?"  
  
"Guess quite a few people, luv, or there wouldn't be a website."  
  
Spike clicked to enter, and was instantly given a list of options.  
  
"Okay, shall we try another quiz?"  
  
"No! No quizzes. This world's quizzes are evil. And I'm not very good at them."  
  
"Well that's just tough luv."  
  
Spike chose the quiz, and started to read aloud what it said. "The Top Signs You're A Spikeaholic. The Spikeaholic Purity test. See, Slayer. It isn't a test you can fail. Now you have to take it!"  
  
Buffy pouted as Spike read out the first question. "Do you drool on your computer so much that you need a drool guard after looking at pictures of me?"  
  
"Eww, no!"  
  
"Okay. Do I pop into your head when someone mentions men?"  
  
"You do whenever somebody mentions evil men. Does that count?"  
  
"Let's say it does." Spike ticked the little box next to the question. "Do you schedule all your appointments around BtVS, just so you can see me?"  
  
"What's BtVS?"  
  
"Not a clue."  
  
"Well it has something to do with seeing you, so I'm gonna say no."  
  
"Do you swoon, sigh, drool, groan, moan, or get extremely horny every time you see me?"  
  
"Well, I do moan a lot when I see you."  
  
"Moan a lot. Okay." Spike ticked that box too. "Do you accidentally scream my name during sex? Yes." Spike clicked the box.  
  
"In your dreams, Spike!"  
  
"In yours too!"  
  
"Un-tick the box! It isn't fair, it's cheating!"  
  
"Fine, then." Spike un-selected the box. "Do you date someone just because they remind you of me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you have more pictures of James Marsters around your house than of your own family?"  
  
"Who's James Marsters? What's he got to do with this?"  
  
"Dunno, so let's just say yes. Does your mind wander during a conversation, just because someone mentioned something remotely related to me... such as blonde?"  
  
*Lie,* Buffy thought. *Lie! You can't answer that one truthfully. You'll never hear in the end of it.*  
  
"Yes," Buffy replied. "But only in the I hate you and want to kill you sense."  
  
*Way to go, Buffy.*  
  
Buffy answered all of the next questions no, although they mostly went on about this James Marsters guy, whoever he was. Eventually, they got down to question 16.  
  
"Does leather turn you on?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Spike stared at Buffy. "What?!"  
  
"Well, you did ask."  
  
Spike just raised his eyebrow at her, and turned back to the computer.  
  
"Okay. Leather turns you on. Check. Do you talk about me as if you know me?"  
  
"Well, yeah. Duh!"  
  
A few more questions went by, Buffy answering no to all but one: Does a British accent make your knees weak? She never had been able to resist foreigners.  
  
"Have you made all of your best online friends (or REAL LIFE friends) through your mutual love of me?"  
  
"How about mutual hate of you? Does that count?"  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"Okay, then yes."  
  
A few more questions passed, and then they were done.  
  
"Okay, now we just have to click calculate, and."  
  
Buffy watched as her results appeared on the screen.  
  
"65%?"  
  
"Guess you like me more than you thought, luv."  
  
""Your addiction is here to stay. Recovery is futile. Sit back and enjoy it?!""  
  
"Good advice if you ask me."  
  
Buffy stuck her tongue out at Spike, and read a little further down.  
  
"Weirdness factor - 47%? It thinks I'm weird!"  
  
"Well, you are, pet."  
  
"Shut up Spike." Buffy pushed Spike away from, hard. She'd only meant to do it playfully, but she had forgotten about her Slayer strength. Spike's computer chair went spinning in circles across the room, and crashed into the door. Spike toppled off sideways, and landed in a heap on the floor.  
  
"Ow!" Spike said. He had meant to sound angry but it just came out like a pitiful little wail.  
  
"Serves you right."  
  
"I see you're full of the sympathy." Spike got grumpily to his feet and dragged the chair back up to the computer. "So, what are we looking at now."  
  
"Well, nothing more on this site, that's for sure. They're all a bunch of freaks, worshipping you. And they said I was one of them!"  
  
Buffy clicked back to the search engine. "Now I'm going to choose one."  
  
She scanned the list of links, then spotted the perfect one. Grinning wickedly, she clicked it before Spike could see what it was.  
  
The page loaded, and it was Spike's turned to be shocked.  
  
"KittenSpike?!"  
  
Buffy scrolled down the page, and instantly fell off her chair from laughing.  
  
"What? What is it?"  
  
Spike nudged Buffy out of the way, and stared at the computer screen in horror. All across it were full colour pictures of him. wearing cute black fuzzy kitten ears.  
  
"HOW DID THEY KNOW ABOUT THEM?!"  
  
Buffy stopped laughing long enough to clamber back onto her chair. "What do you mean, how did they know?"  
  
"I mean.what are they on? As if I'd wear fuzzy black kitten ears!"  
  
"You're a terrible liar, Spike."  
  
"Fine! They were part of a Halloween costume. Drusilla was being a bit crazy, made me dress up as a cat on Halloween. Now let's never talk about it again!"  
  
"What were the other parts of the costume?"  
  
"As if I'm gonna tell you!" Buffy just stared at him. "A spandex leotard, big fuzzy gloves and a long black tail. I looked like a right wanker as well."  
  
Buffy just grinned.  
  
"What are you grinning about?!"  
  
"It's just, I'd like to see you in this costume sometime."  
  
"In your dreams pet."  
  
"In yours too."  
  
******* So there it was. What do you all think? Please, pleeeease review. Even if you just say "I'm reading your story" I'd really REALLY appreciate it. You wouldn't believe the size of the pile of homework I have due for tomorrow. At the moment I'm supposed to be writing using the superlative in French. Who needs the superlative anyway? So you can see I REALLY NEED YOUR REVIEWS to make it through the week. At least there are only 8 days left till the new season starts here. Then I can most likely get depressed about what's happening in that. Yay!  
  
Thank you all soooo sooooo much for the reviews (again!). *Hugs all her reviewers.*  
  
T'eyla Minh - That website is so funny! I couldn't stop laughing for ages! Hope you liked what I did with it. FanOfFaith - Sorry, but no. I'm a Faith fan too, so maybe I'll mention her somewhere, but she's not actually going to appear. ( KitKat - As if I'm gonna tell you! Sweatermonkey - You're welcome! Fastpilot - lol. You'll just have to wait and see. ello - Maybe. Just maybe. *evil laugh*  
  
Thanks to everyone else who reviewed, I love you all! Both the Spikeaholics and the KittenSpike websites are real, and all Spike fans HAVE to go visit them! The addresses are in the reviews. If anyone else has a website you'd like Spike and Buffy to see, tell me and I'll see what I can do! The same goes for anything else you'd like them to see, like types of fanfiction ect. Please? Oh, and if anyone here is on Neopets, and knows of a Spike or Spuffy guild please neomail me (spike_rocks88) cos I need one of them for the story. Thanks! 


	5. Patrolling

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the God Almighty, Joss Whedon. Everything except Spike. He's mine.  
  
A/N: Sings "3 days to go, 3 days to go, la la la-la la-la la, 3 days to go!" Yay!!!  
  
I'm going through some traumatic times. I bought this month's Buffy mag yesterday, and it has reviews for the first 4 eps of next season. I'm using all the strength I possess to keep myself from running up and reading all about them right now. You'll know whether I'm pleased with what's happening by what I put at the top of the next fic. If it says "All hail King Joss" (which I doubt) everything's hunky dory. If it says "Die, Joss, you Spuffy hating fiend" well, you can probably guess for yourself.  
  
Anyway, here's just a short chapter to sort of move the plot along. Hope you like it! **********  
  
Buffy stared glumly around the cemetery. She and Spike had been patrolling for hours, and, once again, they hadn't found so much as a sign that the Mohra demons were in town.  
  
"Maybe they all left," Buffy said hopefully, after they had finished their fifty thousandth sweep of the area. "Maybe they came up against me, knew they didn't stand a chance of ever beating me, and left."  
  
"Doesn't sound very likely, luv."  
  
Buffy glared at Spike. "Well, it doesn't mean you have to ruin my fun." She stared around once more. "Oh, it's useless. There's nothing here. Do you want to go back to my place, maybe watch some more videos?"  
  
"All right, then."  
  
Buffy took one last look around, then headed off towards her house. Unknown to her, hidden in the shadows, the Mohra demon waited. He laughed quietly to himself. This was all too easy. The Slayer was so concerned about finding him, and stopping The End of Days. It wouldn't matter, even if she did kill him. He wasn't the one who was causing it anyway. He had started it, given it a little push, but the rest wasn't him. It was ironic how The Slayer was so busy trying to prevent the End of Days, when all along she was bringing it forth.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy unlocked the front door, and quietly stepped inside, signalling for Spike to follow her. Not wanting to wake Dawn, she tiptoed through the hall, and into the living room, to find her curled up on the couch, watching cartoons.  
  
"Dawn?"  
  
"Oh, hey Buffy."  
  
"What are you doing up?"  
  
"Buffy, it's only 10 o'clock! And it's the weekend! It's not like I have to get up tomorrow."  
  
Buffy just looked at her. She really wanted to watch those videos, but she couldn't unless Dawn moved. It would look way too suspicious if she just ordered her away.  
  
"Do you have any homework?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's not due in until Monday."  
  
"Well, you should go do it."  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"No buts. Go!"  
  
Dawn glared at Buffy, and stormed off to her room.  
  
"Don't you think you were a little hard on her, luv?"  
  
"No! It's late, she has homework, and she was hogging the TV."  
  
Spike just grinned at her, then flopped down on the couch.  
  
"What are you grinning at?"  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
Buffy sat down next to him, and muttered, "Didn't look like nothing."  
  
**********  
  
Buffy was cuddled up next to Spike watching the screen. She wasn't exactly sure how she had got in that position, but didn't have the strength to move away from it.  
  
She sure seemed to have had strength then, though. She watched the fight her and Spike were having, mesmerised by it all. She sure was beating the crap out of him. Then she suddenly noticed he was fighting back. How could he be fighting back without the chip hurting him?  
  
"Spike," she said slowly. "How come. . ." She stopped suddenly when she saw the fight come to an abrupt end.  
  
"Eew! That's gross, Spike! You were thinking about fighting me when you and Harmony were, were. . . Eeew!"  
  
"What's the matter with that, luv."  
  
"What's the matter?! What isn't the matter!"  
  
"Well, it's not like you never thought about me when you were shagging the soldier boy."  
  
"Okay, you know how I said this was gross a minute ago? Well, forget that. This is way beyond gross. It's so gross that there is no word to describe the grossness of it. It's just. . . Eeew!"  
  
"I notice you didn't deny it, pet."  
  
"Shut up, Spike."  
  
Spike just grinned. Buffy hated that. It was so annoying. You would have an argument, and at the end he would just grin. When he did that you knew he had won.  
  
**********  
  
Buffy sat back and watched the credits roll. "Okay, what episode is on next?"  
  
Spike reached for the box. "Err, Fool for Love."  
  
"Fool for Love?"  
  
"Yeah." Spike casually tossed the box aside, and turned back to the TV. "Wonder what it's about."  
  
**********  
  
Short and sweet, right? I needed to give Fool for Love a chapter of it's own, cos it's kind of a major chapter. Please review, and I will have the next chapter up by Friday.  
  
Now, it's time to thank the reviewers!  
  
White Wolf 3 and Garp - Glad you find it funny! I know this chapter wasn't, but I promise more is on the way.  
  
Vld - Buffy dating Dawn?! There are really fics about that?! That is beyond gross! I guess Buffy'll be finding some then. . .  
  
T'eyla Minh - That site deserves the advertising. It's really funny (hint, hint everyone go there!) I've looked at the other one, so watch this space! (You may be watching a while, I've already got my next few chapters planned out.)  
  
The anonymous person (whoever you are) - Here it is! I know it's not the best (or the longest) but the next one will be up in a few days.  
  
Sweatermonkey, ello and Spikes_Vampiress - Thank you! *hugs you all*  
  
Cara - It can't wait until she watches Smashed either. My fingers are itching to write it. If it wasn't for that dratted thing called order, and the things that have to happen before they get to watching it, I'd be typing it now!  
  
Claudia79ad - Fun? *evil laugh* Enjoy it while it lasts. I'm kidding! Or am I.  
  
sita electra - I'd love to see Buffy with a Spuffy wallpaper on her computer. That'd be so cute!  
  
Sita electra and Jackie - Oh, they missed the end of Out of Your Mind. Sorry! It didn't fit in with what was going in. She'll watch it later.  
  
SpacePirate_Kyoki - Tell me when you publish your story! It sounds great! And that idea is way better than mine.  
  
FanFreak - Watch this space!  
  
Duster - Thank you so much! You put me on your favourite lists!!!  
  
Okay, last chance for fanfic requests. Any good fanfic stories they should read (please don't just advertise your story, make it something good) would be appreciated!  
  
Please R/R! Thank you! 


	6. Fool For Love

Disclaimer: It's mine! All mine!!!! Bwa ha ha ha haaa! I am Joss, right? Right? Right???  
  
Spoilers: REALLY MAJOR ones for Fool for Love. If you haven't seen, don't read. Actually, go watch it, and then come read it. It's a really good ep!  
  
Timeline: Season 6, after Tabula Rasa, but before all that Smashed stuff started happening.  
  
A/N: OH MY GOD!!! I just watched Lessons, and I think that is the only way to describe it. Are the other episodes in this season as good as this, cos if so. . . yay! I LOVE Spike's new hairdo. I'm so relieved that he still makes sense though (well, kinda), cos the minute I heard that he was gonna be crazy (those dratted spoilers are SO hard to avoid) I was REALLY worried he would just be a rambling idiot that couldn't talk to anyone or anything. Anywho, that's basically the reason this is out a day later than I said. I was so busy basking in S7 that I didn't write as fast as I should have. Anyway, it's here now. Enjoy! **********  
  
Buffy watched as the screen changed to show her out on patrol. She was fighting a vampire. Nothing special about that, right? She didn't really remember him, but she could tell just by watching that he must have been the tackiest dressed vamp she had ever seen. Even a vampire had to know that that outfit went out of fashion well over a decade ago. She saw herself pull out a stake and raise it ready to strike. She then watched in horror as the vampire grabbed her arm, and twisted it round, so that she plunged the stake into her own stomach.  
  
Now she remembered him. How could she have forgotten him in the first place? It had been the first time that a vampire had beaten her in a long while.  
  
She turned to see Spike stared at the screen, shock all over his face.  
  
"You never told me a vampire staked you." He sounded half way between concern for Buffy and hurt that she hadn't told him.  
  
"You didn't need to know. Besides, you were so busy wishing I was dead back then you probably would've just been disappointed that he didn't finish the job."  
  
Spike just looked at his feet.  
  
Buffy turned her attention back to the TV, and watched the credits roll. When they had finished she saw herself running away as fast as she could. She didn't normally run away from battle, especially with normal vampires, but she remembered the feeling she had got then. The feeling that she was about to die.  
  
She watched the vampire throw her against a crypt wall, and approach her, stake raised. Glancing sideways she saw Spike leaning forward, desperate to see if she was going to be okay.  
  
*How stupid is that,* she thought. *I'm sitting right next to him and he's worried about whether that thing killed me or not! Then again, I have already died quite a few times already, and I'm still sitting here.*  
  
Buffy grinned as Riley appeared out of nowhere, and threw himself at the vampire. He punched it a few times before it knocked his weapon out of his hands, and ran away as fast as it could.  
  
Spike seemed relieved to see she was okay, but Buffy was sure she heard him mutter, "Stupid Git. I wouldn't have let it get away. I'd have staked it good and proper. Yet she still thinks he's the hero, just because he saved her life."  
  
******* "Accounts of the final battles would be very helpful. But there's no one left to tell the tales. What?"  
  
"Ow! Wait. Not ow. You feeling all right, Slayer? This stuff usually hurts."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Spike yelled, outraged. "You beat me up, again, because you wanted me to tell you about the other Slayers? You could have just asked me!"  
  
"Yeah, well I doubt I'd have got much out of you that way. Besides, this way's more fun!"  
  
Buffy was sure she heard Spike let out a faint growl.  
  
"Are you growling at me?"  
  
"What? No!"  
  
"Yeah, Spike. Whatever."  
  
Buffy turned back to the TV and saw that her and Spike were now in the Bronze. Buffy noticed that where as Spike seemed delighted to be having a drink with her, she was looking less than happy to be there. There was no way anyone watching that could have guessed that in less than a year she would be watching TV with Spike, BY CHOICE.  
  
"Spicy buffalo wings. Order me up a plate, I'm feeling peckish"  
  
"Why did you make me buy you those things?"  
  
"What was that, luv?"  
  
"Why did I have to spend my well-earned cash to buy you food, when you don't even eat?"  
  
"Just cos I don't need to eat, doesn't mean I don't want to. I've told you before, I like to put a bit of Weetabix in my blood. Gives it some texture."  
  
"Okay, now I'm never gonna be able to eat Weetabix again without thinking about that horrible revelation. Just do me one favour, Spike."  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"Never tell me anything like that again."  
  
Spike just grinned at her.  
  
*******  
  
"What can I tell you baby. I was born bad."  
  
Buffy watched as William the Bloody appeared before her eyes. She tried desperately to keep a straight face, failed, and burst out laughing.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh my God! I spent all this time thinking you were some sort of evil murderer or something when you were human, and it turns out you were just a simpering nobleman!"  
  
"Hey! I don't make fun of what you were like before you became the Slayer, and that's much worse!"  
  
"How is it worse?" Buffy wheezed, in between laughs.  
  
"At least I wasn't a stuck-up bitch."  
  
Buffy stopped laughing then. "I was never a stuck-up bitch. I was just a little. . ."  
  
"Unbearably mean? You think vampires are bad, pet, you should see popular girls in a cat fight. Trust me, you don't want to get involved with that."  
  
Buffy pretended to ignore him. She tried to act like she didn't care what Spike said, but she was cut up inside. Spike thought she was a bitch. Did she really deserve that? Was she really that awful that he thought that little of her?  
  
"My heart expands, tis grown a bulge in it, inspired by your beauty, effulgent."  
  
Buffy stopped worrying about what Spike thought of her as she was hit by another fit of laughter.  
  
"It wasn't that bad," Spike muttered.  
  
"Not that bad? Spike, the fact that you wrote poetry is funny enough, but the fact that you wrote BAD poetry?! Trust me when I say I never even knew poetry could be that bad."  
  
"You should have, looking at some of the ones you wrote for English class."  
  
"You read them? They're my things, how dare you?!"  
  
"What, were you waiting for a publishing deal? That's likely!"  
  
Buffy stuck her tongue out at him, elbowed him in the ribs, and turned back to the TV.  
  
William was sitting on a sofa talking to a very pretty girl about the same age as her. The girl seemed quite distressed, and he seemed rather uncomfortable too. She cursed herself for not paying enough attention and tried desperately to figure out what was going on.  
  
"Your poetry, it's... they're... not written about me, are they?"  
  
"They're about how I feel."  
  
"Yes, but are they about me?"  
  
"Every syllable."  
  
"Oh, God!"  
  
"Oh, I know... it's sudden and... please, if they're no good, they're only words but... the feeling behind them... I love you, Cecily."  
  
"Please stop!"  
  
"I know I'm a bad poet but I'm a good man and all I ask is that. . . that you try to see me-"  
  
"I do see you. That's the problem. You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me."  
  
Buffy stared at the screen in shock. How could that woman, that. . . Cecily say that to Spike. How could he think she was a stuck-up bitch when she obviously wasn't as bad as this girl. At least she would never do something so cold, so heartless. She had done some bad things to him in her time, but she had never said he was beneath her. That was just too awful to think about.  
  
She glanced sideways at Spike, and saw he was looking at his hands, fighting back tears. She pretended not to notice. The last thing Spike would want would be for her to see him on the verge of crying.  
  
She tried once more to concentrate on what was going on, but found it hard when she knew Spike was so upset. She was so concerned about him that she even forgot to laugh when she heard him say "Mother's expecting me." She almost regretted laughing at him before. It had seemed so funny that that was what he was like when he was human, but really, it was just sad. In the tear jerky way. And thinking about it sure was jerking some tears.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy nervously looked at the screen, watching Spike fight one of the other Slayers. It was kind of disgusting to see another Slayer fight a fight she was obviously going to lose, but it was even more unsettling when she realized that if she hadn't have been so lucky, she could have been one of them. One of Spike "Slayer Count."  
  
She watched in horror as Spike caught the Slayer by the arm, and sunk his fangs viciously into her neck. He then brutally threw her body aside, and looked around in triumph.  
  
"When you described it to me, you never said it was as brutal as that." Despite all the horror she had seen, Buffy still felt very sick.  
  
"Well, what would you have done if I had? Punched me in the nose most probable, and run out, coat fluttering behind you."  
  
Buffy just ignored him. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy watched Spike attempting to kill the second Slayer. She was more prepared to watch this one. Not only had she already seen an example of what Spike could do, she vaguely remembered Spike going through it step by step with her.  
  
"She was cunning, resourceful. Oh, did I mention. . . hot?"  
  
"Have you always had a thing about Slayers, Spike? Does the whole mortal enemy thing turn you on or something?"  
  
"No, luv. Like I said, she had a touch of your style."  
  
Buffy didn't really know whether to be pleased or not about that. Did that mean he only thought that this Slayer was hot because she was like her, Buffy, or did it mean that he only liked her, Buffy, because she was like this Slayer?  
  
She watched as the fight got more and more intense with every blow. It wasn't just a mimic of the fight he had with this other Slayer. She was getting really pissed by his demonstration and what he was saying, even if what he said was true. He had been right in the first place, she hadn't been ready to hear it.  
  
*******  
  
Spike had finished his demonstration, yet they were still arguing.  
  
"Get out of my sight, Spike."  
  
" Oh... did I scare ya? You're the Slayer. Do something about it. Hit me. Come on. One good swing. You know you want to."  
  
"I mean it."  
  
"So do I. Give it me good, Buffy. Do it!"  
  
"Spike. . ."  
  
Buffy watched as Spike leaned in to kiss her. She had completely forgotten about that. Had he really been in love with her from that long ago? She watched as Spike covered it up by grabbing her arms and acting all menacing, but she had seen that look flash across his face. That look of pain that she had never even known soulless creatures could have. Not until she had met Spike.  
  
She watched herself throw Spike to the ground in disgust at what he had said to her, then throw some last words after him.  
  
"Say it's true. Say I do want to. It wouldn't be you Spike. It would never be you. You're beneath me."  
  
Buffy just couldn't believe what she had just said. No wonder Spike thought she was a bitch. She WAS a bitch. How could she have said something so awful to Spike.  
  
Then she realized just how awful it was. It was exactly the same thing Cecily had said to him when he was human. Everyone he had ever loved had told him he was beneath them. Except Drusilla, but she had killed him, so she was just as bad. She watched helplessly as she saw Spike burst into tears. She had never seen Spike cry before. She had seen him close to tears, but this was different. It made her feel so dirty, knowing that it was her who had made him cry in the first place. She turned to face Spike, who couldn't seem to meet her eye.  
  
"Do you mind if I pause it for a minute?" she asked quietly. "I, um. . . I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
Spike nodded, so she carefully pushed the pause button, and made her way upstairs. She stepped into the fluorescent lit bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt so bad it was unbelievable. How could she have done that? The only thing that was worse than those words that were replaying through her head was the look on Spike's face the moment after she had said it. And what was even worse than that was the fact that she hadn't even noticed at the time. Either that, or she just hadn't cared.  
  
She wiped a few stray tears from her eye. The last thing she wanted was for Spike to think she had been crying. She let the tap run for a few seconds, flushed the toilet, and then left the bathroom, hoping this would be enough to back up her cover story.  
  
She walked quietly down the stairs, and then peered over the banister at Spike. She was shocked to see he was crying. Really crying. Tears were streaming down his face as his shoulders shook quietly. Not wanting him to know she had seen him like this, she tiptoed back up the stairs, waited a moment, then thundered her way down them again. When she reached the living room Spike's face was dry, although his eyes were a little red.  
  
She smiled at him, pressed play, and settled down on the couch once more.  
  
*******  
  
"Hasn't got a death wish? Bitch won't need one."  
  
Buffy eyes went wide. He had been planning to kill her. Even after falling in love with her he had still planned to kill her. Just went to prove, she thought bitterly, he's just a killer, no matter how much he's changed.  
  
Then she remembered something that she remembered saying to Angel many years before. "Love makes you do the wacky." The more she thought about it, the more that her life seemed to make it true. She guessed that counted for Spike as well.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy watched herself go onto the porch and sit down on the steps. She really didn't remember this part too clearly. All she remembered was that it had hurt. Bad. That she had gone outside and cried, then come back in with a brave smile for her Mom. She had had to be brave. If she hadn't had been, who else would have?  
  
She noticed Spike march towards her from the shadows, and her heart pounded with fear. He had the gun at his side. He had really been planning to do it. He had come to her house to kill her. So why didn't he?  
  
She watched Spike raise the gun, then notice her tear-streaked face.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
She just couldn't believe it. He had been so angry with her, he had been seriously going to kill her, but all it took was him to see her crying and everything just instantly changed.  
  
"Is there anything I can do?"  
  
Buffy thought she was about to cry again then. She had been so mean to him, she had said the worst thing to him she possibly could have, yet he still really cared about her.  
  
She saw Spike sit down on the steps next to her, and try to comfort her. It was so awkward, but so sweet that it was almost unbelievable. Buffy really did start to cry then. She was horrible to him, all the time, but he still loved her so much.  
  
"Buffy? What's wrong?" Spike looked over at her, concerned, but this just made Buffy cry harder. "Look, I know I was wrong planning to shoot you, but I swear, it didn't mean anything. I was just really angry is all. I didn't mean to hurt. . ."  
  
Buffy put a silencing finger to his lips. "Shhh. It's not important."  
  
"What is it, pet."  
  
"Do you love me?"  
  
Spike looked her straight in the eye for the first time since the episode had begun. "With all my heart."  
  
"How can you?! I'm so horrible to you all the time. I treat you like you're nothing. And yet you still love me just like you did before. How can you ever forgive me for treating you like that?"  
  
"There is nothing you've ever done I need to forgive you for."  
  
"I can list so many just from watching this."  
  
"It doesn't matter, luv. I love you, you know I do. I always will. That's all that matters."  
  
Buffy couldn't believe this. No-one had ever treated her like that before. Not even Angel. No-one had ever just readily forgiven everything she had ever done wrong to them. And yet she was forever pushing Spike away, and treating him like dirt, just because he didn't have a soul. Had Angel loved her when he didn't have a soul? She had still loved him, deep down, soul or not. So why was Spike different? She looked deep into his shocking blue eyes, and made a choice. Not because she was depressed. Not because she needed to "feel". Because she wanted to.  
  
She leaned closer to Spike, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him towards her. She closed her eyes and leaned in when. . .  
  
"Ahem."  
  
She shoved Spike away and flew to the other end of the couch.  
  
"Dawn! What are you doing?!"  
  
"Willow's on the phone. She said she needed to talk to you about some demon thing or something."  
  
"I didn't hear the phone ring."  
  
"It rang loads of times before I picked it up. Guess the, er . . . *TV* was pretty engrossing, huh?"  
  
"Yeah." Buffy glanced briefly at Spike. "Yeah, it was really. . . really enlightening."  
  
Buffy got up and headed out into the hall.  
  
"You can let yourself out, right Spike?"  
  
But Spike just sat on the couch, grinning.  
  
********** So that was it. Coming up next - the Fanfic Chapter! I won't set a deadline, cos then I'll just panic about breaking it. Thank you to everyone that reviewed! I even wrote a kind of anti-Angel line in there, just to keep some of you Spuffy lovers happy.  
  
Remember: It's all about the power. I have it. You don't. By reviewing and suggesting websites for them to visit, you get some of it. Go ahead and choose some really funny ones for them to visit. Sin as much as you want. It's not about right. It's not about wrong. It's about the power.  
  
LOL. Sorry, couldn't resist. What I'm basically trying to say is: Don't drop your chalk board in the water, don't be a pathetic schmuck, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!  
  
Okay, I'm off to see my counselor now. He says if I don't watch Lessons again between now and next Thursday I may just be cured. I don't think it's going to happen. 


	7. The Line Between Fact and Fiction

Disclaimer: It's all Joss's. If it was mine, Riley would have died a slow and painful death by now. Something involving red-hot pokers. Or a pit full of hungry lions. Or just telling Glory he's the key and watching her work. Anyway, he's still alive and far too well, so it's not mine.  
  
A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! And also thanks for all the suggestions for websites and fanfics for them to see. I realised when I was writing this that there was far too much good fanfic for them to see to put in one chapter, so I'm gonna have some more later. Just for the purposes of this story, I've put all the stories on one made up fanfic site. All the fics I've mentioned are REALLY GOOD and I've put links to them at the bottom. **********  
  
Buffy hung up the phone, and wandered absent-mindedly back into the living room.  
  
"So, what did she want?"  
  
Buffy jumped.  
  
"I thought I told you to leave, Spike."  
  
"Yeah, well, I didn't. What did she want?"  
  
Buffy sighed, and flopped down next to him. "She said she found a spell that could help us find the whereabouts of this Mohra demon. She's gonna be late home, cos she wants to research it a bit more, maybe get some of the ingredients."  
  
"So, we're gonna be all alone, are we?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively at her.  
  
"Yeah, except for Dawn," Buffy said, hoping he wasn't about to suggest what she thought he was. "Why?"  
  
"Well, I just thought we could surf the net for a bit."  
  
Buffy stared at him, amazed. Was he actually suggesting they did something that didn't involve fighting or nakedness. Or both.  
  
"Yeah, all right."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy stared at the search engine in front of her.  
  
"So," she said, "which one shall we look at?"  
  
Spike scanned the list, and then pointed at a link near the bottom.  
  
"This one sounds good. Buffyfics.net."  
  
Buffy clicked it, and watched the site load. ""BuffyFics: The ONLY place for all your fanfiction needs." What's that all about?"  
  
Spike scrolled down the page, and then said, "Well, first we gotta pick a category, luv. Shall we have them listed by author, publish date or character?"  
  
"Character," Buffy said decidedly. "I'm not sure what's going to be there, but there's no harm in looking, right?"  
  
She clicked the link, and was taken to another list of choices. "Okay, which character do we want them centred around. Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Angel, Spike. . ."  
  
"Well, obviously we're gonna have 'em about me, luv." He pulled the mouse away from her, and chose "Spike Fics."  
  
When the page loaded, they were faced by yet more choices. Buffy stared at them confusedly. "S/A, Spawn, Spuffy, S/X? Where are we supposed to start?"  
  
"Well, how about at the beginning? Try S/A, whatever that is."  
  
"Okay." Buffy clicked S/A, then quickly chose a story, ignoring the NC-17 warning.  
  
Spike read the story half-heartedly, wondering why he was doing this. It had been fun visiting sites that made fun of Buffy, but reading stories was something different altogether. Then he noticed that the story was about all about him, Angel, Drusilla and Darla. It was set before he came to Sunnydale, and before Angel got a soul.  
  
He was starting to get interested, when Buffy, who was a much faster reader than he was, suddenly burst out laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
Buffy tried to speak, but was laughing so hard it was impossible, so she settled for simply pointing at a line near the bottom of the screen.  
  
Spike found the part she had pointed to, and started to read. A few seconds later, however, he stood up so suddenly his chair flew backwards into the wall.  
  
"HOW DID THEY KNOW ABOUT THAT?!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
Buffy was sure that if Spike could have blushed, he would have resembled a tomato. "I mean. . . what are they on? Me and the poof?! That's crazy!"  
  
"Yu-huh."  
  
Spike sheepishly went to retrieve his chair, and once he'd brought it back, said quietly, "You know those flashbacks they had in that episode we watched earlier?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You don't suppose they have any others in any episodes, do they? Not that I have anything to hide, or anything, but. . ."  
  
"Well, we'll see when we watch, won't we." Buffy let out a huge grin. "And if there are, all the more fun for me!"  
  
Buffy clicked back to the list of Spike fics, then looked at the next one. "Spawn?" she said slowly. "Wonder what that's about."  
  
She clicked the link, and then chose another story called "The Key to My Heart." She read it carefully, unsure of what she might find, then, about halfway down, let out a cry of disgust.  
  
"What is it, pet?"  
  
"This is just sick! These people must have no lives to write about this. I mean, how twisted would they have to be to so much as think this?!"  
  
Spike read the passage out loud.  
  
""Oh, Spike, I haven't been entirely honest with you. The thing is, Spike, I love you."  
  
"Bit? I haven't been entirely honest with you either. It's not the Slayer I love. It's you."  
  
Spike then stepped forward and captured Dawn's mouth in a kiss. It was sweet at first, but quickly got more passionate as Spike began to explore Dawn's throat with his tongue. Dawn clung to him as. . ."  
  
"Okay, that's enough, Spike. It's gross enough without you reading it out for the world to hear."  
  
Spike grinned at her, and read a little further down. "Ooh, Slayer, I wouldn't read the rest of this if I were you."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Let's just say the fic is rated "R" for a reason."  
  
"Oh my god!" Buffy said, as she read the rest of the page. "My sister is pure and innocent! She doesn't even know about this stuff!"  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Okay, maybe that's pushing it a little, but people still don't have to write about it. She's 15!"  
  
"Okay, I'm thinking we'd better get off this page before you kill someone. We'll look at something else instead."  
  
They went back to the main page, and chose Spuffy fics. After scanning the list, Spike chose a story called "Kisses."  
  
Buffy read the story description this time, deciding she was sick of reading stuff she *really* didn't want to. "What if Spike hadn't been dreaming in Out of My Mind when he kissed Buffy?" Buffy looked at Spike. "What's it talking about? What's "Out of My Mind?""  
  
"Guess it's an episode."  
  
Buffy thought hard and vaguely recalled that title being on one of the boxes of videos. "I think it was the one we missed the end of. You know, when you attacked me."  
  
"It's not my fault you're so ticklish."  
  
"Yeah, well, I don't remember us kissing. I remember what happened clearly, and we didn't kiss!"  
  
Buffy watched a look of embarrassment appear on Spike's face as he reread the summary. He said quickly, "They're probably just making it up, luv. Like they did with the Spawn stuff."  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Do you think we should watch the episode again, to make sure?"  
  
Buffy loved the look of horror that appeared on Spike's face when she said that, confirming her thoughts. "I don't think there's any point, luv. We might as well just read this."  
  
"Yeah, okay."  
  
*Right, then,* Buffy thought. *The minute he's gone I'm gonna watch the end of that episode, and see what he's trying to hide.*  
  
Grinning to herself, she started to read the story.  
  
""Spike moaned and held her so tightly she couldn't move as he nibbled at her lips, rubbed her mouth with his tongue." That is gross."  
  
"You didn't seem to think so the other night at the Bronze," Spike said, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, well, I just wasn't thinking then," Buffy said quickly, hoping he wouldn't guess that she *had* been thinking about it, a lot, since then.  
  
"Listen to this line, Slayer. "Her final thought before she reached her house was that Spike was a better kisser than Riley." Now isn't that interesting?"  
  
"Well, it's not hard. Kissing Riley's like kissing a piece of cardboard, only worse. Don't think it's some big achievement to be better than him, cos it's not."  
  
Spike smirked at her,  
  
"What?" she asked, confused.  
  
"I notice you didn't deny it, pet."  
  
Buffy turned scarlet. "Well, it wasn't true. That went without saying."  
  
"Sure. I believe you, luv."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy read the fic right down to the end. Strange as it was, she was really enjoying reading it, and from the look on Spike's face, he was too. She half wished this was how it had been, because then she could have shown Riley up. He would have been off with his vampire friends and she could have been secretly seeing Spike. She could picture the look on his face if it had been real and he'd found out. Shame it wasn't true.  
  
She read the last line of the story, and let out a cry of outrage. "It isn't finished! I want to know what happens!"  
  
"Isn't it obvious," Spike said, almost bitterly. "You see the error in your ways and dump me for the soldier boy. That's how it works, right?"  
  
Buffy couldn't believe how pissed he sounded. "Well, I think the author was pretty big on us being together, so maybe we gave Riley a long and painful death instead."  
  
Spike smiled slightly then. "Do you think we got to torture him first?"  
  
"After what he did to me? You can count on it!"  
  
Spike grinned at her, then went back to the main page.  
  
"Only one more one to look at," he said, and clicked on S/X.  
  
Looking at the list of fics, he chose one called "Spike vs Xander," by a person called skyz.  
  
Spike read a little way down, then said with glee, "Looks like I get to have a fight with Xander in this one! And I get a shoulder massage from you. The two things I'd most like to have."  
  
"Unfortunately for you, they're also the two things you're never gonna get."  
  
Spike read more of the story, as he and Xander prepared to fight.  
  
""Okay," Willow said as she stood at the foot of the coffee table, hands on hips her resolve face firmly in place.  
  
All eyes turned to her.  
  
"Pick up your cans," she ordered." Spike stopped for a moment. "What?"  
  
Buffy, confused, read aloud the next part.  
  
""On three then. One...Two..Three," Willow yelled.  
  
Xander tore the cap off the can of cheese and immediately began devouring it."  
  
Buffy looked over at Spike. "That's so ridiculous. I can't believe someone would write about you having a Squirty Cheese battle with Xander."  
  
"Did I win?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Did I beat him?"  
  
Buffy read further down. "Spike fumbled with his own can, before he got the cap off and hesitantly sprayed some into his mouth. His face scrunched up and he gagged.  
  
"What?! I don't *lose*, do I?"  
  
"Err, let's see. "Xander jumped to his feet, the snoopy dance coming forth as he raised his arms above his head.  
  
"I win!!!!!!!!" Looks like you do, Spike."  
  
Spike glared at the computer screen. "As if I'd lose to the whelp! I'd beat him at anything!"  
  
"Even a squirty cheese battle?"  
  
"*Especially* a squirty cheese battle."  
  
Buffy grinned at him. "Bet you couldn't beat me!"  
  
"Bet I could!"  
  
"Well, we'll see!"  
  
Buffy jumped out of her chair, and ran into the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned, looking very disappointed.  
  
"What is it, luv?"  
  
"We're all out of squirty cheese."  
  
"What do you want some of that for?"  
  
"So we can battle, and I can beat you." She pondered for a moment, an idea coming to her, when she heard Spike say,  
  
"Look, there's another chapter. I'll definitely beat him in this one."  
  
Spike clicked on it, then registered the title. "Spike vs Dawn. Damn it!"  
  
He was about to click the back button, when Buffy shoved him out of the way. "Wait, I wanna read this."  
  
She read a little way down, the burst out laughing.  
  
"What is it this time, luv?"  
  
"Oh my god! This story has you doing the Macarena in it!"  
  
"What's the macarena?"  
  
"You don't know?" Spike shook his head, confused. "Oh, this is too funny! We have to try this too!"  
  
"What do you mean, we have to try this?! Try what?" But Buffy was already logging off.  
  
"You wait here," she said excitably. "I'll be back in a minute."  
  
Buffy hurried out into the hall, and quickly dialled the number of the Magic Box.  
  
"Hello, Magic Box."  
  
"Hi Willow."  
  
"Oh, hey Buffy."  
  
"Listen, Will, have you nearly finished that research yet?"  
  
"It depends. Why?"  
  
"Do you want to play a game?"  
  
*******  
  
Buffy went back into the dining room a few minutes later, grinning madly.  
  
Spike marched over to her. "What was that all about?"  
  
Buffy just grabbed his arm and dragged him into the living room. "Stand there," she said, and pushed him into the centre of the room. She then ran over to the CD player, grabbed a CD, and put it in.  
  
Spike stared at her confused, until the music started blasting out.  
  
# . . .Come and find me, my name is Macarena, always at the party, con las chicas que soy buena, come join me, dance with me. . .#  
  
"No! No! NOOOOO!"  
  
"Oh, come on, Spike. It'll be fun!"  
  
"I am NOT dancing!"  
  
"Sure you are. It's easy! Look."  
  
Buffy then proceeded to teach Spike how to dance the Macarena.  
  
"Okay, now you wiggle, jump to face to your left, and clap. And then you start all over again."  
  
"Isn't it kinda pointless, luv?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's fun. Go on, try it."  
  
Spike didn't really see the point in trying to argue with her. She had that look on her face that told him he'd end up as dust if he did, so he started to dance, trying to look as evil as possible in the process.  
  
"Okay, good. Now you wiggle. . ."  
  
"No way!"  
  
"Wiggle!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Wiggle, or I'll make you!"  
  
"How are you gonna do that, luv?"  
  
Buffy strode forward, placed one hand on either side of his hips, and made him wiggle.  
  
"There! Now you just repeat it."  
  
"Only if you do it too."  
  
"Fine then!"  
  
Buffy went and stood next to Spike, and started to dance with him. She could tell just by watching him that he was trying to make himself look as "evil" as he could, but the fact was the eviller he tried to look, the funnier he became. Buffy was starting to enjoy herself, but she noticed Spike *still* wasn't wiggling.  
  
"Spike, you have to WIGGLE!"  
  
"I told you, pet. I'm not doing that part!"  
  
Buffy stepped forward once more, and started to make him wiggle. He was starting to get into it when. . .  
  
"What the hell is going on here?!"  
  
Buffy jumped round to see Xander standing in the doorway, eyes wide.  
  
"Me and Spike were just doing the macarena."  
  
"And in what world is any part of that sentence *not* wrong?"  
  
"Awww, come on Xander, it's fun."  
  
"Dancing with Spike is fun?"  
  
Spike stepped towards Xander. "Hey, it's not fun for me. She made me do this."  
  
Buffy spun Spike round, forcefully. "What do you mean, it's not fun for you?!"  
  
Suddenly, Willow came in though the door, waving a supermarket bag in the air.  
  
"I got them!" she said happily.  
  
"Got what?" Xander asked suspiciously.  
  
"The cans of squirty cheese. Buffy said something about a game. . ."  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said, striding forwards purposefully, and taking the bag off her. "It's a squirty cheese race, and we're all gonna play. We each get one can of squirty cheese, and we have to eat it as fast as we can. The loser has to pay for the cheese."  
  
"What about the winner?" Spike asked.  
  
"They get the honour of being the winner."  
  
"This is really dumb," Xander said.  
  
"Scared I'll beat ya, whelp?" Spike said.  
  
"Scared? Me? No way." Xander reached for the cheese, and held it at the ready. Everyone else followed suit and waited.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said. "3, 2, 1, GO!"  
  
They all started to squirt the cheese into their mouths. After only a few seconds both Buffy and Willow started to gag, but Spike and Xander kept going.  
  
As the girls gave up, the guys continued to devour the cheese as fast as they could. Xander was squirting frantically, but Spike finished first.  
  
"Ha! Take that, Xander!" Spike said, gleefully.  
  
"It was only a game," Xander said bitterly.  
  
"Just cos you lost! Can't take the fact that you were beaten by a vampire!"  
  
"It was stupid!"  
  
"Yeah? You wouldn't have thought it was stupid if you'd have won, would you Harris? Huh?"  
  
Buffy just laughed. "How can you guys eat that stuff?"  
  
"No tastebuds," Spike said.  
  
"See, you cheated!" Xander said, cheese spraying from his mouth as he spoke.  
  
"I did not! Spike yelled back, spraying even more cheese. "There was no rule saying you had to be able to taste the stuff!"  
  
"Say it, don't spray it."  
  
"Hey, hey!" Buffy ran between the two of them. "It was a cheese squirting contest. Nothing big."  
  
"I still won, though."  
  
"Zip it, Spike!"  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"Zip!"  
  
*******  
  
Okay, so what did you all think? Please R/R!!! The story Kisses is by TinaBS, and the story Spike VS Xander is by skye, and they're both on Fanfiction.net. They're really good stories, and you should all go over and read them. And then review them as well and tell the authors how great they are!  
  
Please keep your ideas coming! The next part should be out by Saturday. Have a good week! 


	8. Obsessions

Disclaimer: It all belongs to ME! (That's Mutant Enemy. . . unfortunately. But by putting that as my disclaimer, it makes me feel better)  
  
A/N: Sorry it's late, but I've had a TON of work. It's kinda short, but I promise the next chapter will be extra specially long, cos of what's going to happen. Anyway, hope you like it (. ******* Spike strode into Buffy's living room, coat billowing out behind him.  
  
"Slayer? You ready to do some more "research"?"  
  
Buffy came storming in from the kitchen, stake raised high.  
  
"Slayer?"  
  
"I'm done."  
  
"Buffy? What's wrong? Is this about the cheese stains on the carpet? Cos I said I was sorry, luv."  
  
Buffy advanced on Spike, her face set. "Spike, you're a killer. And I should've done this years ago."  
  
Spike started to look slightly scared now. As he backed away from her, he said nervously, "Ha, ha, ha. Good one, luv."  
  
But Buffy kept on approaching, until she had backed him into a corner. She drew her stake back, and lunged it at his chest.  
  
Spike winced, but Buffy stopped the stake just before it touched him. Then, she pulled his head down and kissed him as passionately as she could, dropping her stake in the process. Just as Spike was getting into it, she pulled back, looking at him in horror, her hand covering her mouth.  
  
"What's wrong, pet. If I remember right, you were the one who kissed me."  
  
But Buffy just ignored him. She dropped her hand again, and walked forward, pushing herself up against him as he stared at her in disbelief.  
  
"Spike, I want you."  
  
There was something far too familiar about this, but Spike couldn't quite put his finger on it.  
  
Buffy giggled, and put on a very deep, very bad British accent. "Buffy, I love you. God, I love you so much."  
  
"Hey, wait a minute. . ."  
  
Buffy giggled again, and walked slowly away from Spike. "Didn't you like it, Spike? I thought it was your ultimate dream."  
  
"You watched it! I can't believe you watched it!"  
  
Buffy grinned coyly at him. "Of course I did! You seemed so desperate to stop me seeing it. What else was I supposed to do?"  
  
And with that, Buffy turned on her heel and headed into the dining room.  
  
"Are you coming or what? We don't have all night, you know."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy stared at the screen, looking at the website in front of her in disbelief.  
  
"And You Thought YOU Were Obsessed With Buffy the Vampire Slayer?! The people in this dimension are so weird. I mean who would want to make a website about being obsessed with me. Apart from you, I mean."  
  
Spike scowled at her as she scrolled casually through the links. "What shall we go on?" Buffy paused as she saw one choice about halfway down. "Obsession List. What's that?"  
  
"A list of obsessions?" Spike guessed, as Buffy clicked the link.  
  
Her eyes went wide as she read the title. "You know you're obsessed with BtVS when. . ." She looked disgustedly at Spike. "So is this like a list of things people do when they're obsessed with me? I wonder how many of them you've done."  
  
She read the first one out loud. "You whittle wooden stakes."  
  
Spike smirked at her. "Well, I don't do that, but I know somebody else that does."  
  
"Well, it's important. I mean, shoddy stakes could cost a slayer her life, and I don't want to die because of some stupid carpenter's bad craftmanship."  
  
"You really need to get a hobby, luv."  
  
Buffy pulled a face at him, as he read out the next one. "You kick open doors."  
  
"Hey, it's a thing!"  
  
"Doors do have handles, pet. You could just use one of them instead."  
  
Buffy blushed. "Well, I think it scares the vamps. It makes me look powerful, you know?"  
  
"Whatever, pet." He scrolled further down the list. "You keep protesting that Buffy is NOT a ditz name."  
  
"Hey! Buffy is NOT a ditz name!!!"  
  
"Okay, then." Spike grinned at her. "You sleep with a stake under your pillow."  
  
"You never know when a vampire could attack."  
  
"Even though they can't get into your room without you inviting them in first."  
  
Buffy stuck her tongue out at him, but that just made him laugh more. "Great comeback, luv."  
  
Spike continued to read out the list. "You date men whom you meet in dark alleys."  
  
"Not ALL the men I've dated hang round in dark alleys."  
  
"Yeah, name one."  
  
Buffy thought hard for a moment. "Okay, shut up."  
  
Before Spike could say another word, she read out the next one. "You think that anyone that listens to Cher or Celine Dion is a demon."  
  
Spike snorted. "Everyone who listens to Cher or Celine Dion IS a demon. I mean, they're demons, so naturally anyone who likes that horrible chick music is one too."  
  
"Cher and Celine Dion are demons?!"  
  
Spike looked at Buffy as if she was crazy. "Well, yeah. Why do you think Cher keeps having so many face lifts? She's gotta keep her human face in shape."  
  
He turned back to the computer. "Just in case you lose your voice you sleep with a message board under your pillow."  
  
"Yeah, I don't want to have to pay another 10 bucks for one. I tell you, that message board was such a rip off. The pen dried up in less than a day."  
  
Spike stared at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I thought you keep a stake under your pillow."  
  
"I do."  
  
Spike just shook his head, and carried on reading. "Your favourite day is Tuesday."  
  
"No way! My least favourite day is Tuesday. Bad things always seem to happen on them."  
  
She elbowed him out of the way, and read out the last one on the list. "You're afraid a guy with cheese will haunt you in your dreams." She looked at Spike in disbelief. "Oh my God, how did they know about that? I've had nightmares about a bald guy waving pieces of cheese around since I was 8. It's so creepy."  
  
"Oh my God, me too." Spike said, shocked.  
  
"What? I thought vampires didn't have dreams."  
  
"Not usually, but ever since I came to Sunnydale I've had these dreams about a weird guy with cheese on his head. They wig me out."  
  
"What? The Big Bad's scared of a guy who wears cheese on is head?!"  
  
Spike suddenly leapt forward and switched off the computer. "Come on, luv. This is boring. Let's watch some more vids instead."  
  
Buffy snuggled down on the couch, as she watched an episode called Shadow. She frowned slightly as she saw Riley going into her house, uninvited, and walk upstairs. Her frown grew when she saw who else was upstairs.  
  
"Spike!" Spike turned to look at her, sheepishly. "You were in my room?! Uninvited?! Sniffing my sweater?!"  
  
"Hey, it's a thing," Spike said indignantly. "Like I just said, getting to know your enemy's scent. It's a predator thing."  
  
"I don't go around sniffing your underwear."  
  
"Well that would be sick. It's not your underwear. It's just a sweater."  
  
Buffy studied the sweater carefully. "Oh my God! That's the sweater that I lost last year! I can't believe you stole it!!!"  
  
Spike looked guilty, as Buffy watched Riley shoo him away. As he went out of the door, she noticed his hand fly out into her draw.  
  
"YOU STOLE MY UNDERWEAR?!"  
  
"Like I said, luv. It's a predator thing."  
  
Please R/R!!!! Pretty please with sugar on top? Come on, you know you want to! 


	9. Crushed

Disclaimer: It all belongs to the Powers That Be. And the Powers That Be belong to Joss. So basically - NONE OF IT'S MINE!!! : (  
  
A/N: I am soooo sorry this is out so late, but every single teacher has decided to give us tests and essays and all sorts at the moment. What with doing my geography DME, writing essays on the Russian Revolution, struggling with Food coursework and trying to learn lines for the play I'm in, I've found it hard to find time to write. I've finished all that though, and half-term is next week, so expect lots of updates then : )  
  
********  
  
Buffy lay curled up on the couch, her head on Spike's lap. She glanced at the clock, and was amazed by how much time had gone by. It was almost midnight, but she didn't feel like stopping yet. Willow and Dawn were both already in bed, and it was strangely comforting to lie there with Spike, even if Spike had tried to kill her many times in the short time they had known each other.  
  
She focused on the TV, watching herself at her birthday party. She smiled softly as she remembered her huge feeling of hope that for once, just once, she'd have a happy birthday. It hadn't lasted long, once Dawn had broken into the magic box and learned who she really was.  
  
Thinking of Dawn, she watched as she climbed out of her bedroom window and shimmied down the drainpipe, only to end up face to face with Spike. What was strange was that Spike was carrying something, but she couldn't quite make out what it was.  
  
"Are you giving Buffy a birthday present?!"  
  
So that was what it was. Buffy couldn't believe how sweet that was.  
  
"You remembered my birthday?"  
  
"Well, yeah. Like I'd forget it."  
  
Buffy grinned, then suddenly realised how weird it was. She was over the moon because *Spike* had bought her a birthday present.  
  
Quickly trying to cover it up, she said, "Dawn's right, you know. Chocolates are a lame present."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy sat up as the new episode started and reach for the video box.  
  
"Okay, so this next episode is called Crush," she said quietly, trying to hide a yawn.  
  
"You tired, luv? Do you wanna stop the tape, watch it tomorrow?"  
  
"No! I wanna watch it."  
  
Buffy tossed the box back onto the floor, and snuggled back down against Spike. As she watched the episode unfold, she smiled at those happier days, when everything had been so much simpler. No Mom that wasn't there, no Watcher that decided to leave, no back from the grave pain, and definitely no weird feelings about Spike.  
  
Buffy brought her thoughts back to the TV with an effort, and watched Harmony trying to seduce Spike.  
  
"Don't you want to come in and. tire me out?"  
  
"Why did you ever go out with such a slut?" Buffy asked, absolutely disgusted with what Harmony was doing.  
  
Spike just ignored her question, and daringly pulled her closer.  
  
"Well. . . I don't know. . . maybe play a game?"  
  
Buffy leapt up from Spike's lap as she saw what "game" they had decided to play.  
  
"You got her to dress up as me?!"  
  
"What makes you think it was meant to be you?"  
  
"The clothes, the stake, the "I'm gonna slay you"," Buffy started, trailing off as she heard the next line.  
  
"I'm going to stake you so much with my slaying powers that I have because I'm the chosen. . ."  
  
"And of course there's that."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy frowned as she watched Dawn come into Spike's crypt. There was so much that was wrong with her little sister hanging out in the crypt of an evil vampire. Then again, she thought guiltily, there was so much wrong with a Slayer snuggled up with an evil vampire, watching TV.  
  
She watched in disgust as Spike lit a cigarette.  
  
"Oh my God! You smoked in front of Dawn? Do you know what a bad influence that could of had on her?!"  
  
Spike looked sceptical. "Luv, do you really think me *smoking* in front of Dawn is a bad influence?" When Buffy frowned at him he added, "Cos your right, o' course. I mean, me smoking in front of her could possibly be the worst thing I've ever done when she's around. I've never attacked someone, or drank blood, or told her terrible stories of things that I did before I got chipped. Yep, you're right. Me smoking in front of her is *terrible*!"  
  
Buffy hit him playfully on the arm, and pulled a really pouty face. "Don't be mean. I just meant. . ."  
  
"I know what you meant, luv. I was just joking. And if you hit me again I'll be forced to tickle you."  
  
"I feel safe with you."  
  
Buffy burst out laughing when she saw his reaction to that. "Aw, poor Spile. Did Dawnie hurt your precious Baddie feelings?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy had watched almost half the episode now, and she felt almost sorry for Spike over they way she had treated him. If he'd treated her like that she'd have probably staked him there and then. Now she watched Spike and Drusilla patrol the Bronze, and it made her sick to her stomach when she realised what he was going to do there.  
  
She glanced sideways at Spike and saw his guilty face as he and Dru climbed the stairs to the balcony. She then watched in horror as Dru approached one couple, snapped the neck of the girl, and tossed her casually to Spike.  
  
"Um, I need to. . . um, get a drink," Spike said hurriedly, and quickly but carefully moved Buffy away from him and walked into the kitchen.  
  
That made Buffy feel even more sick. She didn't know quite why she was so shocked by what she knew was about to happen though. She knew Spike was killer. She guessed she had just forgotten that. Or maybe she had just wanted to forget.  
  
She watched the TV in disbelief as Dru bit the guy, and waited for Spike to bite the girl. And waited. Why wasn't he biting her? He could, now she was dead. So why wasn't he? Then she saw the expression on his face. It wasn't a look of pleasure. It was a look of pain. He was standing there, with every opportunity to revert to his old ways. But he wasn't taking it. She watched as he closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, then took a bite. And why had he bitten that girl then? Buffy knew the answer. It was because of her. She had blown him off, made him feel evil, so that's what he had decided to be.  
  
Spike edged back into the room, looking guilty, and sat back down on the other end of the couch from Buffy.  
  
"Oh my god," she whispered, looking at Spike wide-eyed, as though seeing him for the first time.  
  
"Look, Slayer, I'm sorry, okay."  
  
"You're sorry?" Buffy asked in disbelief. She had never realised it before, but did normal vampires say sorry? Did they? Yet she'd heard one particular vampire say it so many times it was unbelievable.  
  
"I know those words don't seem to seem to mean much, but I mean it. Look, I was confused. And I just. . ."  
  
But Buffy stopped him with a finger carefully placed over his lips.  
  
"Shhh. Don't worry about it," she said softly. "That look on your face said it all."  
  
Spike looked confused at that, then became even more confused when she proceeded to lean towards him and give him a very sweet kiss on the lips. Then she put her head back onto his lap, and turned to watch the rest of the episode.  
  
"You had a brain transplant, pet?"  
  
"You could say that," she said with a giggle, leaving Spike to ponder what had just happened.  
  
*******  
  
That episode had finished, leaving Buffy feeling very bad about how she had treated Spike, yet she still didn't want to move. She just wanted to stay there forever. And besides, it wasn't *that* late. Well, not for a Slayer, anyway. And definitely not for a vampire.  
  
"Right, luv. I'd better be going."  
  
Buffy sat up suddenly. "Why?"  
  
"Well, it's late. And you'll be needing your beauty sleep."  
  
"It's not that late. And besides, there's only one more episode on the tape." Spike looked doubtful. "Oh, come on, Spike! It's not like you've got anything better to do!"  
  
Spike looked indignant. "I do too! I have loads of things to do that are better than this!"  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Fine then. I'll stay. But just for one more episode. Then I'm going."  
  
Buffy grinned at her victory, then settled back down against Spike's shoulder.  
  
*******  
  
The episode had nearly finished, and Buffy decided that that was one of the best episodes she had seen so far. The best part had been watching Spike's oh-so-indignant face when he saw how happy she had been that April had thrown him through a window.  
  
Now she watched herself coming home from fighting April, and look around for her Mom. She let out a little gasp as she saw her Mom lying dead in the background, and watched in horror as the TV version of her spotted her Mom as well.  
  
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as the episode ended, and Buffy could do nothing but stare at the screen.  
  
"Buffy. . ."  
  
"Put in the next tape," she said quietly, her eyes not moving from the credits as she spoke.  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"PUT IT IN!" she screamed.  
  
Spike carefully ejected the tape, and put in the next one. He did not, however, press play. Instead, he looked at Buffy with concern.  
  
"Are you sure about this, luv?"  
  
"Play it." Spike obliged, and then slowly walked back to the couch as the episode started.  
  
*******  
  
A/N I found this chapter really hard to write, so please review to tell me what you think of it. I know I promised an extra-long chapter, but I've decided to split it up a bit instead. I've already started to write the next chapter, so it should be out really soon. If not, you can all plague me with angry emails. Oh, one last thought. "She'll tell you. Someday, she'll tell you." Can I just say - wow! Can't wait for that one! Why did Cassie have to die though? She was so cool! I hope she tells him "I love you." Or "I forgive you." Or even "Your duster's in the closet. You can have it back if you want." I really miss that coat : ) 


	10. Chat

Disclaimer: Buffy is THE BEST show on TV. Does sound like it's mine?!  
  
A/N: Hey, guess what? I finished this next part before I even managed to post the part before. Being the kind person I am, I decided to post it at the same time, so here it is. Hope you enjoy it : ) Oh, all things said in the chatroom are in ^these^  
  
********** Buffy woke up the next morning, and for a moment wondered about where she was. It was so dark, and she felt like her face was pressed against something soft. She smiled, and breathed in the scent that the soft thing emitted. It was coconutty, and smokey?  
  
With an effort, Buffy raised her head enough to see that the soft thing had been a small, black t-shirt. She looked slowly up, and saw the face of Spike looking sympathetically down at her.  
  
"Morning, luv," he said softly, his voice purring in his throat as he spoke.  
  
Buffy yawned, and tried to remember what had happened the night before. It had been late, really late, and she had been watching those videos with Spike. Then she had watched one particular episode on the tape. An episode which was all about her Mom dying. All she remembered after that was crying. Crying and crying and crying in Spike's lap, until she had fallen asleep.  
  
She sat up with an effort, and looked about the room. It was obviously daytime, so it was probably a good thing she had shut the curtains the night before, or she would have probably woken up with her head in a pile of dust.  
  
She looked over at the clock, and was relieved to see it was only 7:30. She would have had a lot of explaining to do if Willow or Dawn had come downstairs while she was still asleep in Spike's lap.  
  
She stood up quickly, and hurried towards the stairs.  
  
"Where're you going, luv?" Spike asked, sounding slightly hurt.  
  
"I'm just going to get changed, mess my bed up a little. My friends'll worry if they think I was up all night."  
  
With that, she disappeared up the stairs. She shouldn't have worried, Spike thought with a laugh. Dawn wouldn't have noticed, and Willow. . . Willow had come downstairs half an hour earlier. Apparently, she had wanted to get to the Magic Box early, try out some locating spell to find where the Mohra demon was hiding. Spike had made up some story about how they had been researching until late, and Buffy had fallen asleep on his lap, and that he hadn't wanted to wake her. She seemed to have bought it, so there wasn't much point worrying Buffy about it.  
  
Buffy came downstairs five minutes later, fully changed with her hair neatly styled in a bun.  
  
"You look. . . nice, Slayer."  
  
Buffy gave him a grin. "Thanks."  
  
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, before Buffy said, "You know, we might as well go on the internet again, seen as you can't leave the house."  
  
"Alright then."  
  
*******  
  
A few minutes later, Buffy and Spike were settled down in front of the computer, each holding breakfast in their hands. Buffy had a plate of pancakes piled a mile high, and Spike had a cup of pig's blood Buffy kept in the fridge for Spike emergencies.  
  
"So," Buffy said, staring at the search engine in front of her. "Where to today?"  
  
"Well," Spike said with a wicked grin on his face, "you're always obsessed with how weird all the fans of the show are. Why don't we go into a chat room and meet some of them?"  
  
"Um, alright then."  
  
After a few minutes, Buffy found a decent looking chat room, and tried to log in.  
  
"What should be out user name?" Buffy asked Spike. When he just shrugged, she turned back to the computer and typed Buffy&Spike into the box. When she had logged in, she sat, and watched the board with interest.  
  
^Spuffy4eva - RileySux? R u there?^  
  
"RileySux?! Who would want to have the username "RileySux"?"  
  
Spike looked at her with a grin. "I would."  
  
^RileySux - Yeah, I'm here. Did you watch Help last nite?^  
  
^Spuffy4eva - Yeah. Great ep.^  
  
"Help? What's that?" Spike asked, confused.  
  
"Probably episode names."  
  
^RileySux - Wot do u think Cassie meant by "She'll tell u"?^  
  
^Spuffy4eva - Either I luv u or I forgive u. I bet those stupid Americans already no.^  
  
"I like her," Spike said with a grin.  
  
"What, just because she called Americans stupid?!"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
Buffy gave him an exasperated look, and went back to reading the conversation, despite the fact she had no idea what they were on about.  
  
^RileySux - Yeah, me 2.^  
  
"Aren't you going to say something?" Spike asked, looking expectantly at Buffy.  
  
Buffy sighed, and typed in a quick message.  
  
^Buffy&Spike - Hi! Im new here. Wot r u talking about?^  
  
She then waited expectantly for someone to reply.  
  
^RileySux - Last nites ep. Was it great or wot?^  
  
^Buffy&Spike - Yeah. Great.^  
  
^RileySux - U a Spuffy shipper?"^  
  
"A what?!" Buffy looked extremely confused.  
  
"A Spuffy shipper," Spike replied with a grin.  
  
"Thanks for your help," she said sarcastically, before deciding she had a fifty fifty chance of giving the right answer, and typed in yes.  
  
^Spuffy4eva - Wot did u think of the AR?^  
  
^Buffy&Spike - Wot?^  
  
^Spuffy4eva - U no, the bathroom scene. In Seeing Red. Wot u think?^  
  
Buffy turned to Spike. "Why did I let you talk me into going in a chatroom. Now they're all chatting to me, and I don't have a clue what they're talking about."  
  
"Just say you thought it was great, luv."  
  
^Buffy&Spike - Yeah, it was great.^  
  
^Spuffy4eva - Great?! U think it was great?! : 0 ^  
  
Buffy scowled at Spike. "Thanks a lot. Now they're all angry with me. I've probably just told them that some horrible thing that happened to one of us was great. Now they're gonna think I'm an unfeeling freak or something, and it's all your fault."  
  
"Why don't you just tell them you meant the acting was great, luv?"  
  
"Oh, right. Good idea."  
  
^Buffy&Spike - I meant the acting was great. The AR was horrible.^  
  
^Spuffy4eva - Oh, rite. I no wot u mean. SMG + JM did a great job. But how cud the writers make Spike do that?^  
  
Buffy, deciding she had had enough advice from Spike to last a lifetime, decided just to pretend she knew what they were talking about.  
  
^Buffy&Spike - I no. How cud they?^  
  
"Do what?" Spike asked suddenly. "What did I do?"  
  
"I don't know. Probably moped over me or something."  
  
^RileySux - R u American? Hav u seen S7 yet.^  
  
^Buffy&Spike - Yep. I'm American.^  
  
^RileySux - Do u no wot Cassie meant by She'll tell u yet?^  
  
Buffy scowled frustratedly at the screen. "Ugh, these people are so annoying! I can't tell what they're on about. And it's like they speak in some sort of code. I mean, Spuffy?! AR?! SMG + JM?! S7?! What the hell are they on about?!"  
  
"Calm down, luv."  
  
"Why? These people are fans of the TV show that's about *us*, yet we can't understand a word they say!"  
  
"I understood some of it."  
  
"Really? Which part?"  
  
Spike gave her a sheepish grin. "None of it. But it's fun watching your face when you think I know more than you."  
  
"Ugh! You are so annoying!" Buffy said, and swatted him on the arm.  
  
"Hey! Don't swat me!" Spike said indignantly.  
  
"What are you gonna do about it, bleach boy?"  
  
Spike reached forward, pulled her bun loose, and ruffled her hair until it stuck out in all directions.  
  
"Oh, you are *so* gonna pay for that!" Buffy grabbed the corner of his computer chair, pulled it round, then shoved it hard, so that it went spinning off round the room, before finally tipping over and throwing Spike onto the floor.  
  
Buffy walked teasingly over to Spike, a huge grin on her face. "That'll teach you to mess wi. . ." Before Buffy could finish her sentence, Spike grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her over onto the floor.  
  
"What was that for?" Buffy asked, indignantly, as she lay on top of Spike's crumpled form.  
  
"What, are you afraid I'm gonna. . ." Spike never got to finish his sentence, as Buffy had leapt forcefully forward, pressed her lips full on against his, and started kissing him with all her might. Spike sat there stunned for a second, before kissing her back with just as much passion.  
  
After a moment, Buffy felt Spike's tongue tentatively brush her bottom lip, begging for entry. Buffy slowly opened her mouth for him, and kissed him with even more passion than before. Her hands went up under his shirt, as his arms wrapped around her back, pushing her closer to him.  
  
Things were getting downright steamy when Spike suddenly pushed Buffy away.  
  
"What's the matter?" Buffy asked, confused. She had thought that had been what he wanted.  
  
"Lil Bit's up. She'll be coming down the stairs any minute. You wouldn't want her to see anything unsuitable for her young eyes now, would you?"  
  
"Oh." Buffy stood up, and straightened her clothes. "Right."  
  
She stared at him for a long moment, before saying, "To be continued?"  
  
"Always."  
  
*******  
  
A/N: So, what do you think? Please read and review!!!!! Thanks to all my reviewers, I love you all *gives reviewers a big hug*. Thanks especially to the person who emailed me to ask when the next chapter was coming. You made me sit down at my laptop, and not leave till I'd finished these two chapters, homework be damned! *gives that person an extra big hug and a lollypop*. Thank you! Please review!!! 


	11. Showdown

Disclaimer: Not mine.  
  
A/N: I'm sorry again for this being out a bit late : ( I promise I'll have the next one out sooner. Anyway, here it is. ********** Buffy couldn't stop thinking about what had happened that morning. She was being a good little Slayer, researching, training, being mean to Spike, just like she was supposed to, but she just didn't feel like it. She couldn't wait till it was night, when she could "research" with Spike again, but her friends had to ruin that for her as well.  
  
Apparently, Willow had done the locating spell, and had discovered that the Mohra demon was hiding in an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. Now they all expected her to go down there to kill it. They had all wanted to come too, but Buffy had put her foot down at that. This was something she was going to do alone. Except for Spike. She needed him for backup. Or at least that's what she said.  
  
There was only one problem. They still didn't know how to kill it.  
  
"I don't see why Buffy can't just stab it," Anya said, as she skimmed her way through the thousandth book. "That'll kill so many things."  
  
"Anya, you know as well as we do that she can't." Willow rummaged through the pile of books, and pulled out one of the ones Angel had given them. "Listen. "They need vast quantities of salt to live, yet are extremely hard to kill, as their blood has regenerative powers, and any serious wounds will only make them stronger. It keeps regenerating its life until the dark future it envisions for the world is upon us. The only way to slay the beast is to bring darkness to the thousand eyes." If Buffy stabs it, it'll just get even stronger."  
  
Buffy looked at her in disbelief. "What did you just say, Will."  
  
"Erm, you can't stab the demon?"  
  
"No, before that."  
  
"Um, you know as well as we do she can't??"  
  
"No! After that."  
  
Willow thought hard for a second. "Oh! The only way to kill it is to bring darkness to the thousand eyes!"  
  
Xander looked up from the comic he had hidden in one of the books. "Does that mean I don't have to research any more?"  
  
"Xander, honey," Anya said, smiling, "You haven't done any researching in days."  
  
"Does that mean I don't have to pretend to research any more?!"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Great!" Xander slammed his book shut and threw it back down onto the pile. "I'll order some pizza!"  
  
"I'll re-open the shop!"  
  
"I'll start studying for my English test!"  
  
"I'll go kill this thing!"  
  
The four Scoobies all stood up and set off in the separate ways. A few seconds later however, they all stopped.  
  
"Err, Willow?" Xander asked tentatively. "What does "Bring darkness to the thousand eyes" mean exactly?"  
  
Willow looked sheepish. "Erm, Buffy?"  
  
Buffy looked over at the vengeance demon beside her. "Anya?"  
  
As one, they all headed back over to the table, sat down, and started to read once more.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy glanced out of the window to see that the night had crept up on her. "It's after sunset," she stated sadly. "Spike'll be here soon. Then I guess I'd better go kill this thing."  
  
"How can you even think of going to kill this thing, Buff?" Xander asked, exasperated. "You don't know how!"  
  
"Well, I have to bring darkness to the thousand eyes. Maybe this thing has a thousand eyes and you just have to stab them or something."  
  
"Did you see a thousand eyes when it attacked you?"  
  
"No, I saw two. But it could have more hidden somewhere!"  
  
The door banged, and Buffy turned round to see Spike standing in the doorway, an axe in his hands.  
  
"Ready to go, luv?"  
  
Buffy nodded and marched over to the counter to grab her bag of weapons.  
  
"Buffy, you can't go!"  
  
"I can, and I am. I'm sick of us all spending every second researching one stupid demon! It's probably not even an apocalypsy demon, just an annoying one! And now it's gonna be a dead one."  
  
Buffy swept past Xander, and headed towards the door. As she passed her, Willow put her hand on Buffy's shoulder to stop her.  
  
"Be careful, Buffy."  
  
Buffy smiled slightly. "I will." She then turned and walked through the doorway.  
  
"Let's go, Spike."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy crept into the warehouse, with Spike close behind her. "Remember Spike," she whispered, "Don't injure it. Just hurt its eyes."  
  
"For the fifty-millionth time, I've got it," Spike said, not bothering to keep his voice down.  
  
"Shhh!" Buffy reached a fork in the corridor of boxes, and turned to Spike. "Which way?"  
  
"I don't know. I'm not psychic!"  
  
"For the last time, keep your voice down!"  
  
"Well, you did ask me a question, luv."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Hey, you're the one who's making the noise now."  
  
"Grrr. You're so annoying!"  
  
"Are you *growling*, pet? You've been hanging around me too long."  
  
Buffy slapped Spike on the shoulder, hard. "Stop it!!!"  
  
"Ooh, strike a nerve, did I, Slayer?"  
  
"God! You are such a pain! Why do I put up with this?"  
  
"Hey, no-one's making you, pet. You can leave at any time!"  
  
"Why do you do this? The demon's gonna know exactly where we are thanks to the noise you're making!"  
  
"I'm not the one that's yelling."  
  
"But you're the one that started it!"  
  
"No, pet. That was you as well."  
  
"I knew I should've got the others to tag along."  
  
Spike grabbed Buffy's arm, and pulled her around to face him. "Why *didn't* you ask them to tag along?"  
  
Buffy blushed and looked down at her shoes. "I'm not sure. I guess I just kinda hoped. . ." She trailed off, unable to make herself admit what she had been thinking.  
  
"Hoped what, luv?"  
  
When Buffy didn't replay, he pulled her closer towards him. "Hoped this?" Moving so quick Buffy didn't know what was happening, he closed the gap between them and kissed her, hard. She gasped, then relaxed into it, forgetting about where she was, and what was there with them. She remembered perfectly clearly a few moments later, however, when she felt a huge force crash into her side, knocking her over.  
  
She landed on her front, the wind knocked out of her. She sensed the demon towering above her, and tried to turn over.  
  
"BUFFY!!!"  
  
She looked up to see the demon standing over her, sword swinging down towards her chest. She was about to roll out of the way when she saw Spike jump out from nowhere and grab the blade, just before it reached her. Pushing as hard as he could, he thrust the hilt of the sword upwards into the face of the Mohra, giving Buffy chance to get up off the floor.  
  
Spike ran to stand beside her, and they looked across at the warrior demon that stood before them. Without warning, Buffy leapt forward and threw a stake straight into the demons eye. It howled in pain, as strangely glowing blood poured from its wound.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said, disgusted as the demon fell to the floor. "That was gross."  
  
"At least it's dead now. I was getting sick of hearing about this bloody Mohra demon night and day.  
  
"You wanna go and watch some videos?"  
  
Buffy and Spike turned away from the demon and headed off back towards the entrance.  
  
"Leaving so soon, Slayer?"  
  
Buffy jumped, and turned to see the Mohra demon standing behind her, as healthy as when she first saw him.  
  
"How. . ."  
  
"You didn't think that would kill me, did you now, Slayer?" the demon hissed, as he started to circle her. "There's no way you can stop me."  
  
"Is that right?" Buffy turned slowly round, her eyes following the Mohra as he walked. As she did she wondered why it hadn't worked. What was the thousand eyes?  
  
"Even if you kill me, it's too late to stop the End of Days."  
  
"That's what they always say," Buffy said cockily, looking him up and down for a weakness. "Always stopped them so far though."  
  
"This one you won't. It's already begun. It's far too late to go back now. Soon destruction will be upon the Earth. And it'll start with you."  
  
Buffy was starting to get slightly pissed now. "So, are we gonna fight or are you just gonna keep walking around, prophesising doom."  
  
The Mohra laughed a horrible cackling laugh. "I'm not going to kill you, Slayer."  
  
"Too right you won't."  
  
"You're vital to the plan. Without you, there can be no End of Days. Like I said, It's already begun." He glanced over at Spike, and Buffy saw the light reflecting of the jewel on his forehead. "The sacrifice will be made." he turned back to Buffy, and she saw more light shining on his jewel. "The world will end, and there is no way for you to stop it."  
  
Buffy stared at the stone in his forehead, almost hypnotised by the way it glistened in the light. It was so almost like thousands of eyes, shining in the dark.  
  
The minute she thought that, Buffy knew what she had to do.  
  
"Even if you kill me," the Mohra said gleefully. "You're all doomed."  
  
"We'll see about that!" Buffy threw her stake through the air and straight into the jewel. The jewel smashed, and the demon screamed as light spread from it, engulfing him.  
  
As the sound of his cry faded, Buffy sighed, and turned to Spike. "Let's go."  
  
*******  
  
They wandered down the street in silence for a while, until they were almost at Buffy's house.  
  
Then Spike turned suddenly to Buffy and said, "Didn't it bother you, what that demon said."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, what it said about us all being doomed and all that crap."  
  
Buffy gaped at Spike. "You didn't believe him, did you? You were a big bad for years and you never knew that demons always say it's too late to stop their plan when they know they're going to die?" When Spike shook his head, she laughed. "Oh, you are soo cute!"  
  
"Hey! Take that back!"  
  
"What? No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Why? What are you gonna do to me if I don't?"  
  
Buffy saw the lust in his eyes as he looked at her, and she braced herself for a mind-numbing kiss. She was seriously disappointed when he simply turned and started to walk away from her.  
  
"I'll have to think about that."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Spike turned to look at her, seemingly anxious to get moving again. "What is it, pet?"  
  
"Do you wanna come inside?" When he looked doubtful, she added, "We could watch some more videos."  
  
"Alright then."  
  
*******  
  
A/N: So what do you think? Please, please, pleeeeease read and review!!! Please? Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. Love you all!  
  
In case any of you haven't read this, go to www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/ and click on the link on the right of the page that's called "Spike's love" or something like that. It'll give you more than a smidgen of Spuffy hope in these dark times. It's very vague spoilery though, so if you like to stay 100% clear of them, don't read. Also, while you're there, there are the best trivia things on the episodes. It's a great site!  
  
Now I've told you all about that, please read and review! If you've got nothing else to say, you can comment on how mean it is for Buffy to make Spike live with Xander. Or how sad it is that Spike turned that angel's face away from him. Or just how you wish Buffy had killed Principal Wood before Spike got there. (Can you tell I've just watched Him?) Whatever you say, please review!!! 


	12. Choices

A/N: A few things I have to say about the last chapter. Firstly, I'm sorry for rubbish (or non-existent) descriptions of the Mohra demon. I've never seen I Will Remember You as I'm a fairly new Buffy fan (I only started watching this time last year) and I've been using a transcript for this story, and it's not very helpful when it comes to descriptions. Also, really sorry for another late chapter, but I've been busy writing a script for some competition I REALLY want to win (I came second last year, next year I'll be too old), so that's taken up most of my time. Anyway here it is : )  
  
**********  
  
Buffy tiptoed into the house, and looked about. Everything was quiet, so she assumed Dawn had gone to bed. She quietly motioned for Spike to come in, and walked through into the living room. Spike settled down on the couch as she turned on the light and searched about for the video box.  
  
"Aren't you gonna call Red, luv?"  
  
She stopped her search to look at Spike. "Why?"  
  
"Well, you've just been to fight some meg demon. I'm guessing she'll be fretting about you."  
  
"Oh, right." Buffy stood up, and headed out towards the phone. "Look for the videos while I'm gone, will you?"  
  
She picked up the receiver, and quickly dialled the number of the Magic Box. She let in ring a few hundred times before giving up. Hanging up, she wandered back into the living room.  
  
"That was quick, luv," Spike said as he pushed the video into the machine.  
  
"No answer. Maybe they all gave up on waiting and went to bed. It is pretty late."  
  
She sat herself down on the couch and waited for Spike to start the video. After a moment she said "Come on, Spike! We don't have all night!"  
  
"I'm coming, Slayer." He pressed play, then scrambled back across the room to sit down next to Buffy. She watched forlornly as the episode started, remembering what had happened in the last episode. Her Mom had died, and she was guessing this episode wasn't going to be laughs a plenty either.  
  
She fought back the tears as she watched herself prepare for the funeral. She didn't want to appear weak in front of Spike, and bursting in to tears, again, would definitely make her seem a bit pathetic.  
  
She was relieved when the tape stopped showing her, and instead went to Willow and Xander standing on her front porch. She watched as they dawdled down the path, talking quietly, and bumped into Spike. She let out a little gasp when she saw what Spike was holding. In his hand was a small bunch of flowers.  
  
"You've got be kidding"  
  
"I'm not going inside"  
  
Buffy look at the screen in disbelief. "They never told me you left flowers."  
  
"Not surprised, luv. Xander probably burnt the things."  
  
"Joyce was the only one of the lot of you I could stand"  
  
"And the only one with a daughter you wanted to shag. I'm touched."  
  
"For the record, luv, I brought them because. . ."  
  
But Buffy put up a silencing hand as she watched the screen intently.  
  
"I liked the lady"  
  
Buffy turned to Spike, her eyes brimming with tears. "You really liked my Mom?"  
  
"Course I did, pet. She was always nice to me. Treated me like a person, instead of a thing. And she always made me a cup when I was a bit down. A nicer lady you couldn't meet."  
  
Buffy grinned up at him, even though she still felt a bit unsure. She knew Spike was a damn good actor, and she still wasn't sure if he was lying. She watched Spike give up, toss the flowers on the floor and storm off. Willow leaned forward and picked them up of the floor, looked at them for a moment, then said something that made Buffy re-assess everything.  
  
"He didn't leave a card."  
  
Her tears now falling freely, she turned to look at Spike once more. "You bought my Mom flowers, and you didn't even leave a card?"  
  
Spike nodded slowly, looking down at his lap. Buffy leaned forward and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "You are so sweet."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy sat snuggled against Spike's side, as though he could protect her from the images of her mother's funeral. It was as though she was reliving it, and she almost wanted to fast forward it, skip it all as though it never happened.  
  
"I wish I could've been there for you, luv."  
  
"Yeah, well I doubt I would've wanted you there. Not then, anyway." She glanced up at Spike, and he caught a glimpse of her tear-streaked face. "I'm glad you're here now, though. I don't think I could've got through watching this without you."  
  
"We can stop it, if you want."  
  
"No. I have to watch it. I need to."  
  
Buffy pressed herself closer to Spike, and he carefully wrapped his arms around her. She could get through this. She knew she could.  
  
She realised too late what was going to come next. She felt Spike stiffen in shock as he saw Angel come onto the screen.  
  
"You never told me he came," Spike said quietly, sounding hurt.  
  
"I never told anybody. It was too painful to talk about it." Spike nodded silently, but Buffy could still sense the hurt he was feeling. The hurt, and the betrayal.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy watched sadly as Dawn lay in Willow and Tara's dorm room. She had been so wrapped up in her own pain that she hadn't even noticed that of her sisters. And how had that worked out? Dawn had tried to raise her Mom from the dead, and that never ended well. She knew that first-hand. She was still wondering how Dawn had known how to do it in the first place.  
  
She jumped with shock as she saw Willow raise a finger and magically pull a book out of the shelf for Dawn to read.  
  
"I can't believe her! I can't believe she helped Dawn raise my Mom! Doesn't she realise how dangerous that was?"  
  
Spike went stiff, and didn't reply, but Buffy just assumed that was because he was marvelling at how irresponsible Willow had been. She sure was.  
  
She watched Dawn gather the ingredients at the Magic Box, then go to Joyce's grave and start to gather dirt.  
  
"I hope it's just dirt you're after. If the spell calls for anything else, you're into zombie territory, and that's bad news."  
  
"What?!" Buffy looked at Spike in disbelief. "Why didn't you stop her?"  
  
Spike wriggled uncomfortably, and couldn't look her in the eye as he answered. "I was trying. I wanted to make sure what she was doing was safe first, is all. If she was getting something other than soil, then I would've known I'd have to stop her quicker."  
  
Buffy had rarely heard Spike babble before, and that meant he was nervous. Something wasn't right.  
  
"I'm not here to tell, Little Bit. I'm here to help."  
  
"You HELPED her?!"  
  
Spike wriggled even more then, and looked away. "I just, didn't like you two being so sad. That's all it was. Look, I'm sorry, but I just thought. . ."  
  
"Shut up." Buffy pushed herself away from Spike, feeling betrayed. He had helped her little sister perform some really dark magic. She just couldn't believe it.  
  
******  
  
The episode ended, and Buffy remained at the opposite end of the couch from Spike. He had tried to comfort he at the end of the episode, tried to say something to stop her tears as she watched herself and Dawn fight, and then collapse, crying into each others arms, but she had shoved him away. She didn't want him to comfort her. She didn't want him to apologise. She just wanted him to go away.  
  
She knew he wasn't going to go, though. He wanted to see the next episode as much as she did, and besides, there was no way he was going while she was still mad at him.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy stared in disgust as Spike "fought" the BuffyBot on the screen. She knew all about the BuffyBot and what Spike had programmed her for, but it was still gross to watch. Spike couldn't meet her eyes, and she was glad. She didn't want to so much as look at that pig.  
  
She was even more disgusted, however, later on when she saw her friends meet the BuffyBot. How could they not tell her apart from that *thing*. It made her feel sick.  
  
But the worst part was her friends' reactions when they thought she had slept with Spike. They were all feeling varying degrees of shock and disgust, and it hurt Buffy to realise that if they found out about what had almost happened between her and Spike, they would all be just as disgusted with her then.  
  
She felt happier when Xander went to Spike's crypt to yell at him. It was nice to know that, even after all that had happened, he would still defend her. And she was glad he was defending her from Spike. She felt she needed defending, not just from Spike, but from her own conflicting feelings. She just didn't know what to think at the moment. Everything was so screwed up. She just wished something would happen, or that there would be as sign, just something to show her what to think, what to do.  
  
*******  
  
She watched sadly as Glory tortured Spike. She had been so sure he would tell Glory everything about Dawn, but instead he had take her beating. He was standing there, bleeding, in serious pain, and he hadn't breathed a word to her. Not a word.  
  
"I'll tell you who the sodding key is."  
  
Buffy stood up from the couch, staring at the screen in total disbelief now. She had thought he had kept quiet. She had thought he had been brave, been everything a vampire wasn't supposed to be. Instead, he had told Glory it all, and had lied about it.  
  
"Buffy. . ."  
  
"Don't say anything. I don't want to hear it."  
  
She watched the screen, willing it to show Spike once more. When it finally did, she listened intently, barely daring to breathe.  
  
"It's that guy, on TV. What's his name? On that show, the price show, where they guess what stuff costs."  
  
"You told her that the Key was Bob Barker?" She said, half laughing, half crying with relief. He hadn't told her at all. He had lied to her. She didn't think she had ever felt this relieved before.  
  
"Yeah. He bugs me a bit. Thought it'd be good if she polished him off."  
  
"Guess what, bitch. I'm not telling you jack. You're never gonna get your sodding Key."  
  
Buffy collapsed on the couch, tears now streaming down her face.  
  
"What's wrong, pet?"  
  
Buffy tried to answer, but a new wave of tears streamed down her face and all she could do was let out a little gasp.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry, luv. I didn't realised Bob Barker meant so much to you."  
  
"No! I'm not crying about Bob Barker, you idiot," she said between sobs. "I'm crying because you didn't tell her."  
  
"I don't get your meaning, luv."  
  
"She tortured you for hours, and all you had to do to make her stop was tell her who the Key was. But you didn't. And when I went to Glory's, I went to kill you, because I knew, I *knew* that you would've told her. I was such a bitch to you, and all you did to deserve it was love me." She fell against Spike's side, sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
"Don't fuss about it. I didn't mind. As long as you were happy, I didn't mind."  
  
"But I wasn't happy. I treated you like an animal, even after that. I was so horrible to you. And you still put up with it."  
  
*******  
  
Spike had eventually convinced Buffy to calm down, and they had watched the rest of the tape together. To Buffy, it was like she was seeing Spike in a new light as she watched. For the first time, she was seeing just how caring he was towards her and Dawn, and just how much he did for them.  
  
Now they were nearing the end of the last episode on the last tape of this box set, "The Gift."  
  
She watched as Spike charged up to the top of the tower. This she didn't know about. She'd never heard about her friend's part of what had happened, and she certainly hadn't heard anything about Spike climbing the tower to help.  
  
She stared intently at the screen as Spike charged at the Doc, trying to get him away from Dawn, and let out a scream as he was stabbed in the gut. Expecting him to leave it be then, she was amazed when he spun around, putting himself between the Doc and Dawn.  
  
"You don't come near the girl, Doc."  
  
"You still defended her."  
  
"What was that, luv?"  
  
"He stabbed you, but you still defended her."  
  
"I promised you, luv. I told you I'd protect her to the end of the world. I don't make promises I don't mean to keep."  
  
"You used to."  
  
"I don't to you, though."  
  
"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?"  
  
Buffy was reminded once again of his lacking in the soul department. He didn't have a soul, but he still cared. He still defended Dawn. He still loved her.  
  
"I made a promise to a lady"  
  
He still kept his promise.  
  
Buffy was suddenly hit with a thought, but it wasn't a very comforting one. If Spike had defended Dawn, where had he been when she had climbed the tower herself? She almost didn't want to know the answer.  
  
She gasped as Doc tripped Spike, and held him to the edge.  
  
"I'll send the lady your regrets."  
  
"NO!" Buffy screamed as Doc pushed Spike off the edge.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Buffy turned to him, wide eyed.  
  
"What are you sorry for?"  
  
"I broke my promise. I said I'd protect her. But I failed. I should've protected her. If I'd done that, you wouldn't have died. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
Buffy looked into his eyes and felt it. This was it. This was her sign, the thing to tell her what she needed to do. She had been so confused before, but now it was as clear as day. She carefully leaned forwards and kissed Spike gently on the lips.  
  
He pulled back, and looked at her confused. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Making my choice."  
  
*******  
  
A/N: I found this chapter very hard to write, so please review and tell me how I did. Then, read the next chapter. : ) See, aren't I good, posting two chapters at once? The next one's a bit of a fluffy, silly chapter, but I need it to help me recover from Sleeper. Man, that was a good episode. Poor Spike. I'm guessing that weird song's important, you know the one that Morphy Spike kept singing, and that was played on the harmonica. Anyway, please read and review! 


	13. Party Time

Disclaimer: It's all mine!!!!!! Go on, sue me! See if I care! I don't have any money anyway. Just a lot of Buffy DVDs. And there's no way you're having them!  
  
A/N To make up for them being late, here's another chapter. Enjoy!  
  
*********  
  
Buffy slowly drifted awake, feeling happier than she had felt in a long time. She snuggled deeper into her bed, before being hit by the strange feeling that she was not alone. She opened her eyes to see a very gorgeous, very naked vampire looking over at her.  
  
"Morning, luv."  
  
Buffy yawned, and stretched out like a cat. "What time is it?"  
  
"Nearly nine o'clock. I shut the curtains to avoid getting myself a bad case of sunburn."  
  
Buffy nodded, and snuggled close to him. "I can't be nine o'clock already. I'm still tired."  
  
Spike grinned at her in his lopsided way, and said smoothly, "Well, it's not as if you got a lot of sleep last night, luv."  
  
She was about to think up a response when she heard someone knocking on the door. "Buffy? It's me. Can I come in?"  
  
Buffy sat up so suddenly the whole bed shook. "Erm, just a minute, Willow." She turned to Spike. "Hide!"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"In the closet."  
  
Spike quickly scrambled out of bed, and threw himself into the wardrobe at the other side of the room.  
  
"Okay, Will."  
  
Willow opened the door, and tiptoed into the room. "Hi Buffy. How did the fight go last night?"  
  
"Fine. We killed the demon."  
  
"Oh, good."  
  
Buffy contemplated telling Willow about the demon's warning, but decided against it. It would mean more research, and Buffy just couldn't take any more of that.  
  
"Can I borrow your sweater Buffy? You know, the blue one with the star?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Willow was heading towards the wardrobe, when Buffy suddenly realised what a mistake she'd made.  
  
"No! It's in the wash. I'm so stupid, I forgot."  
  
Willow looked searchingly at her for a second, then said, "Okay. Thanks anyway."  
  
She left the room, and as she was going through the doorway, she said, "By the way, Buffy, next time you get Spike to hide in your closet, make sure he hides his clothes too."  
  
*******  
  
It was night, and Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Spike sat impatiently in Buffy's living room, waiting for Xander and Anya to arrive. They were having a party to celebrate the death of the demon, and they were impatient for it to get underway.  
  
Buffy kept glancing over at Willow, wondering if she was going to say anything. She hadn't mentioned what had happened between Buffy and Spike all day, but she was worried that the moment they were alone, they'd have to have "the talk".  
  
Buffy's thoughts were interrupted when there was a loud knocking on the door.  
  
"They're here!" Dawn yelled as she scrambled to the door. As she pulled it open, she yelled, "What took you so long?"  
  
"Sorry, Dawn, but we brought something that might make it up to you."  
  
"Ooh, what?"  
  
Xander pulled a small square box out of his pocket.  
  
"The Best Party Songs EVER CD."  
  
"Oooh, yay!"  
  
Dawn ran back into the living room, and waved it in front of Buffy's face. "Can I put it on, Buffy? Please?"  
  
Buffy nodded her consent, and Dawn ran to the CD player. A few seconds later she came back and sat on the couch with the others, and waited for the first song to start.  
  
She was rewarded for her enthusiasm when she heard the first few notes of the music.  
  
Friday night it's party time, feeling ready looking fine, viene diego rumbeando  
  
"It's the Ketchup Song!!!"  
  
Dawn jumped up, and grabbed Buffy's hand. "Come on, Buffy."  
  
She dragged her across the room and onto the coffee table. Spike was about to ask what they were doing, when Willow jumped up and ran after them.  
  
"Let me up too."  
  
"Sorry, Will," Buffy said, apologetically. "There's not enough room."  
  
"What are you all doing," Spike asked, but was completely ignored by the three girls, who were now totally involved in singing the song.  
  
"And he dances, y la cantaaaaaaa!" Buffy sang at the top of her lungs, as they started to dance to the chorus.  
  
Asereje, ja, de je, de jebe tu de jebere  
  
The girls started to cross their hands over in a weird hand jive as Spike just stared in disbelief.  
  
seibiunouva majavi  
  
They pointed their thumbs over their shoulders, and started to shake their hands as they raised them in the air.  
  
an de bugui an de buididipi  
  
They then put their arms above their hands and waggled their knees together in time to the music.  
  
"I said a hey, ha, de hey, de hay a something, something, something, no armardi, and the something and the something de-de!" Dawn sang as Spike walked towards the girls, staring at them as if they were insane.  
  
"What are you doing???"  
  
"Oh, you have to join in!" Before Spike had time to react, Buffy had pounced from the coffee table, and pulled him up onto it too. "Just copy me."  
  
As the chorus started again, Spike tried to do what Buffy was doing. He knew there was no point trying to argue with her, the macarina incident had proved that, so he decided the best he could do was try to play along.  
  
"NO!" Buffy yelled at him. "Right over left, left over right, right over left, left over right!"  
  
"Sorry, Slayer," he said as he tried to copy her movements. He was just starting to pick it up when he heard Buffy yell, "Thumbs!"  
  
He tried to catch up, but it was too late, and she was already shaking her knees. "Shake your knees, Spike!"  
  
"I'm trying, luv, but it's a hard dance."  
  
Willow snorted as Buffy scowled at him. "A hard dance? Spike, this dance is so easy a *monkey* could do it!"  
  
"Bet Harris couldn't do it."  
  
"Oh, no!" Xander said, wide eyed. "I an NOT doing the Ketchup dance!"  
  
"Oh, come on, sweetie," Anya said, as she dragged him to the middle of the room as well. "Don't be silly."  
  
The chorus rolled around again, and Spike tried desperately to do it perfectly. He was *not* going to be beaten by Xander. He wiggled his knees as hard as he could, causing him to lose his balance and tumble head first off the coffee table.  
  
The song ended with Spike collapsed on the floor, and Xander doubled up with laughter. Buffy went over to the CD player and turned it off.  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't dance any more," she said breathlessly. "I think Spike got a little bit over-enthusiastic there. Lets play charades instead!"  
  
"Oh, no!" Xander and Spike said together, then turned to look at each other. "I am so gonna beat you," they said.  
  
*******  
  
Xander was standing in the middle of the room, twitching his nose and holding out his hands like paws.  
  
"Rugrats!" Buffy guessed.  
  
"Yeah," Xander said as she walked hurriedly back to his seat. "Your turn Buffy."  
  
"No," Buffy said, with an evil grin. "It's Spike's turn."  
  
"Errr, I can't think of anything," Spike said quickly.  
  
"Not a problem," Buffy said with a laugh. "I've already got one for you." She pulled Spike off the couch, and whispered in his ear.  
  
"I can't do that!" Spike said indignantly. "Can't I do something like Friends instead?"  
  
"You said you couldn't think of anything!"  
  
"Well, now I have."  
  
"Tough. You're doing it."  
  
Spike sighed as Buffy sat back on the couch, and looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Okay, it's a song."  
  
"You have to do the action!" Dawn said.  
  
"Well, you know now, anyway." He held up one finger.  
  
"One word," Willow said.  
  
He then held up two fingers in the V sign.  
  
"You're supposed to do it on you're arm. That's just swearing at us."  
  
"I didn't know," Spike said innocently. "I just thought that was what you did."  
  
"No talking!" Buffy said. "So, two syllables."  
  
Spike held up two fingers.  
  
"Second syllable."  
  
Spike paused, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Go on!"  
  
Spike glared at Buffy for a moment, then proceeded to act out sitting on, and flushing the toilet.  
  
"Toilet? That's the second syllable?" Willow asked confused.  
  
Spike just glared at her, pissed off.  
  
"Why don't you do it again, Spike?"  
  
"Fuck you, Slayer."  
  
"I'm sure you did," Willow said quietly, with a giggle.  
  
"What was that?" Xander asked, looking confused.  
  
"Nothing," Willow said, blushing. "And NO talking Spike."  
  
Spike did the action again, and when they still looked blankly at him, he yelled, "It's Waterloo, you prats!"  
  
"Ha! You spoke! Now you have to do another one!" Buffy said triumphantly.  
  
"Fine," Spike said, an idea hitting him. "But I get to pick it."  
  
He grinned lopsidedly at her, then said, "It's a TV show, one word, one syllable, and all that crap." He paused for a moment. "So here it is."  
  
He strode towards Buffy in one fluid motion and kissed her, hard.  
  
"Ooooh, Passions!" Dawn said.  
  
"Right, Little Bit," Spike said, as he pulled away.  
  
"Spike!" Willow said, shocked.  
  
Buffy leapt up and punched him hard in the nose, sending him flying backwards. "I can't believe you did that, you pig!"  
  
For a moment, Spike was offended, then he saw Buffy give him a small wink. This was all for the sake of Xander.  
  
"God, you are sinking to new lows, Spike," Xander said, disgusted.  
  
"Yeah," Spike said, grinning. "I guess I am. Well, I gotta get my kicks somehow."  
  
*******  
  
A/N: Do you have The Ketchup Song in America? If you don't, it's kinda like the Macarina. A pointless dance that everybody knows. I just couldn't get the image of Spike standing on a table, arms over his head, waggling his knees, out of my head, so I had to put it in. And as for the charades, I had to do Waterloo once, and it wasn't fun. Please review!!! 


	14. Smash

Disclaimer: Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Not mine! Get the message?  
  
A/N: Sooooo sorry this is late, but you know, school work and all. And then FF Net wouldn't let me upload this for the last two days! Grrr. Anyway, I'm on holiday now, with three weeks of nothing to do! Which means, loads of updates!!!  
  
**********  
  
Buffy drilled her fingers against the table impatiently as she waited for Spike to come back.  
  
"Spike! Hurry up!"  
  
"I'm coming, luv. Don't get your knickers in a twist!"  
  
Buffy frowned as Spike walked towards her, carrying a large tray of food. "What does that mean, anyway? Don't get your knickers in a twist. You British people say the weirdest things."  
  
"At least it's not as bad as some of the things you Americans say. Do you have to abbreviate *everything*? And don't even get me started on the spelling."  
  
Spike flopped down next to her, and propped the tray on his lap. "You're the one who wanted popcorn so desperately, anyway." He frowned and looked at the TV screen, which was paused at the start of the episode. "So, what are we watching today, pet."  
  
Buffy grabbed the box from the table, and studied it closely. "Erm, some episode called 'Smashed'."  
  
"What's it about?"  
  
"Dunno." She thought for a moment, her forehead crinkling. "The last episode we watched was what happened just before we got attacked by that Mohra demon, so maybe it'll be about that."  
  
She reached for the remote, pressed play, then snuggled closer to Spike to get some popcorn.  
  
It only took a moment for her to realise something was wrong. This, she didn't remember. Sure, she rescued a lot of people in alleys, but she hadn't dealt with a mugging in God knows how long. She glanced over at Spike, and saw that he looked about as confused as she felt.  
  
"Spike," she said tentatively, "do you remember this?"  
  
"No," he said quietly, frowning.  
  
"Then how come we're watching this then?"  
  
When Spike didn't reply, she thought hard, trying to figure it out. After a few minutes, a sudden idea came to her.  
  
"I've got it!" she said triumphantly. "Anya said that the people in this other dimension see our future. So, maybe this stuff hasn't happened yet. Maybe it's what's gonna happen next."  
  
"Do you think we should still watch it, luv," Spike asked.  
  
"Hell yeh! Do you think I'm gonna stop watching just cos Anya gave me some stupid warning about 'the dangers of messing'? It'll be fun. Plus it'll give me a heads up about all the demons, which means I'll be able to save a lot of lives. And I won't have to research any more, also a plus. And, you know. . ."  
  
Spike put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Buffy, you don't need to try and convince me. I wanna watch em as much as you do. Just wanted to make sure you weren't gonna blame when it all went wrong."  
  
Buffy blushed slightly, then snuggled back up against Spike. "Okay, good."  
  
On the screen, a person was falling from the roof of some museum place, all connected with wires and wearing a strange black suit. It took Buffy a moment to realise it was Andrew.  
  
"Oh my God! Those geeks are so lame!"  
  
"That's why they're known as 'The Geeks', pet."  
  
Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "Okay, smarty pants. I was just saying."  
  
She frowned as she watched them use a blowtorch to melt the glass of one of the cases, so they could get the diamond inside.  
  
"Hey, stealing a diamond! Now we're talking!" Buffy said with a grin. "Cos, you know, exploding lint and time warps, not rating highly on the evil meter."  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh no!" Buffy said, sitting up suddenly. "What if they hurt that security guard?"  
  
Spike just raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Okay, maybe not."  
  
She stared in disbelief as she saw them pull out some kind of weird. . . thing, and point it at the guard. A few seconds later, the guard was ice.  
  
"A freeze ray?" she commented, disgusted. "And now we're back to the lameness again."  
  
*******  
  
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up."  
  
"What are you doing here, Spike?"  
  
"So, you're going to go back to hating my guts soon enough, right, Slayer?"  
  
Buffy shook her head, eyes fixed on the screen.  
  
"Uh, you know, as long as we're both here, you might as well tag along. I mean, as a team we could."  
  
"Yeah, that never really ends well, does it?"  
  
"It did the other night."  
  
*Yeah,* Buffy thought with a grin. *It really did.*  
  
"Stop walking away."  
  
"Don't touch me!"  
  
Buffy cringed as she saw herself punch Spike in the jaw. She cringed more, however, when Spike punched her right back. That was going to smart in the morning. As was Spike's chip, any moment now. She waited, expecting him to cry out in pain. Any moment now.  
  
The on-screen Spike seemed to notice that it hadn't gone off too, and pretended to be in pain before Buffy noticed. She saw herself backhand him, sending him falling to the ground, apparently oblivious to his chip failure. Then, she marched off, leaving Spike to grin evilly.  
  
Buffy turned to glance at Spike, and saw him staring at the screen with conflicting emotions on his face. He seemed half confused, half relieved, half overjoyed, half. . . That was too many halves, Buffy corrected herself, as she wondered what TV Spike, and real Spike, were going to do with this discovery.  
  
"Look at all the goodies."  
  
She watched, wide-eyed, as Spike followed a women into an alley, and started to intimidate her.  
  
"Oh my God!" Buffy said, jumping as far away from Spike as she possibly could. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Buffy. . ."  
  
"I thought you were 'changed'! How can you be changed if the first thing you do when you find your chip has stopped working is attack somebody?"  
  
"Buffy, you do realise none of this has happened yet?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's gonna happen, isn't it! God! I can't believe yo. . ." She cut herself off suddenly when Spike lunged for the girl's neck. She stared, transfixed at the screen as Spike screamed in chip-induced pain, and fell back into a dumpster.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
*Good question,* Buffy thought.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy watched the rest of the episode in silence. She was still mad at Spike for trying to hurt that girl, but he didn't see to be particularly dangerous now. What was worrying her was how come he could hurt her, but no- one else.  
  
She looked at the screen to see herself bumping in to Spike in some dark alley, and Spike being even more cocky than usual with her. She guessed it had something to do with the fact that he knew he could hurt her. She also guessed he was about to make a point.  
  
She saw herself hit Spike hard in the face, and him turn around and hit her back. Okay, so he definitely was going to make a point.  
  
"Oh the pain, the pain, is gone."  
  
"How?"  
  
"You came back wrong."  
  
Buffy stared at the screen in disbelief for the second time that evening. How? How had she come back wrong? If she hadn't seen the earlier scenes she would've sworn Spike was making it up. But she knew he wasn't.  
  
"It's a trick. You did something to the chip. It's a trick."  
  
"It's no trick. It's not me, it's you."  
  
Buffy shook her head, tears forming under her eyes. She refused to let them fall. She didn't want to seem weak. Lots of her friends were part demon, or ex-demon, or something like that. There was nothing wrong with being demon. But if that was true, why was she so upset?  
  
"Look, pet, I'm sorry. . ."  
  
"Shut up!" Buffy was shocked by the harshness of her tone, but it had just come out naturally. She was fuming at Spike at that moment. If it wasn't for him, she'd have never found out about this. This was all his fault!  
  
She watched as she jumped Spike, knocking him into an old derelict building. She couldn't help thinking that that had to be a bad idea. Fights in abandoned buildings never ended well.  
  
"Poor little lost girl. She doesn't fit in anywhere. She's got no-one to love."  
  
"Me? I'm lost? Look at you, you idiot. Poor Spikey. Can't be a human, can't be vampire. Where the hell do you fit in?"  
  
This fight was getting seriously serious. Everything in the house was getting smashed to bits. Even the walls were starting to crumble. Buffy cringed as Spike smashed into the fireplace. Ouch. That had to hurt.  
  
*******  
  
After a few more minutes of watching Willow hanging out with Amy, which, quite frankly, Buffy really didn't care about, it cut back to her fight with Spike. She was pinned against the stairs, and Spike was holding her up, laughing in her face.  
  
"I wasn't planning on hurting you, much."  
  
"You haven't even come close to hurting me."  
  
"Afraid to give me a chance?"  
  
"What, are you afraid I'm gonna. . ."  
  
Buffy jumped as she saw herself lean forward and kiss Spike so forcefully the wall started cracking behind them.  
  
"That was a change of mood, luv."  
  
Buffy watched intently as her and Spike continued to kiss, and then there were, umm, 'sound effects' and then they sort of started moving against each other and. . .  
  
"Wait a minute! This was on TV?!"  
  
"What do you mean, pet?"  
  
"I mean, people were watching this! What, are they all perverts or something?"  
  
Buffy watched as they continued, well, moving, and noticed that she looked pretty happy.  
  
"You know, I'm looking forward to this now."  
  
"Why pet?"  
  
"It looks gooood."  
  
Spike smirked at her.  
  
"You're very strange, luv."  
  
Suddenly they both fell backwards, breaking the floor, and falling through into the basement. Buffy kept staring at the screen as the credits started to roll.  
  
"Look, pet, I'm sorry about the whole 'trying to kill someone' thing."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Buffy said with a grin. "It looks like you more than made up for it!"  
  
"And I'm sorry for saying you came back wrong."  
  
"It doesn't matter. I don't care," Buffy said firmly, though she was crying inside. She didn't want to be a demon. She didn't want to be a zombie. She just wanted to be Buffy.  
  
"Do you want to watch the next one?" *******  
  
A/N: So that was the VERY overdue chapter. Sorry if it sucked a little bit, but it was *extremely* hard to write. Hence me taking a little late night 5 hour break to write something else. = ) (*hint* *hint* my new fic Helpless *hint* *hint*) Please R/R, and I'll have the next chapter out by Monday! 


	15. Popcorn

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews for the last chapter. Then again, I've put this up on the same day, so there haven't been many. . . but you can make up for that, can't you *hint**hint* lol. I did say I was going to update fast now! = ) **********  
  
Buffy continued to munch on her popcorn as the opening credits for the next episode rolled. She really hated the last picture of her, the one which had the words "created by Joss Whedon" underneath. First of all, it was an awful picture. It made her look kind of possessed. Or like she was being hanged. Or like she was being hanged while possessed. And secondly, she really hated this Joss Whedon guy. If he was the one who was taking credit for all the pain in her life, he deserved to die.  
  
As the scrolling credits came on, Buffy read the name of the writer and let out a moan of disgust.  
  
"What is it, luv?"  
  
"That writer. Marti Noxon, or whatever she's called. She wrote this episode. I hate her!"  
  
"Have you ever even met her?"  
  
Buffy wriggled uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, no, but I hate her even so!"  
  
"Is this the point where I'm supposed to act all interested and ask why?" Buffy nodded in confirmation. Spike sighed. "Alright, luv. Why do you hate this bird?"  
  
"Because, that's why! Every single episode I've seen with her as the 'writer' has had something horrible happening to me. No jokes or happy moments, just horrible, horrible things! And as she's the one who's credited for the times that were so unhappy, she's the one I'm blaming."  
  
Spike seemed unmoved by her speech, however. "Isn't that the same thing you've told me *repeatedly* about this Whedon bloke?"  
  
Buffy blushed, and grabbed another fistful of popcorn. "Yeah, well, I'm blaming him as well!"  
  
Spike shook his head, and muttered something that sounded to Buffy something very much like 'women'.  
  
"What was that Spike?"  
  
"Nothing, luv."  
  
They both turned their attention back to the TV, where they were having yet another argument.  
  
"Is this what this is about? Doing a Slayer?"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't throw stones, pet. You seem to be quite the groupie yourself."  
  
Now that was harsh. Buffy shot a steely glare in the direction of Spike. He was going to pay for that one. Or at least he would, when he actually said it. She frowned. All this 'in the future' stuff was making her head hurt.  
  
"You're just. . . you're just convenient."  
  
Ouch. Buffy winced at that statement, and by the feel of Spike, he did too. Since when did she become such a bitch? If that Marti person had something to do with it. . .  
  
She turned and put a comforting hand on Spike's arm.  
  
"You know I don't mean it, right Spike?" she said quietly. "I just. . . well, you know, I get upset sometimes, and I say things, and. . ."  
  
"Don't fuss yourself, luv. It's not like I never say stuff I don't mean when I'm all hot and bothered."  
  
Buffy smiled, and snuggled back against Spike's chest. She didn't want Spike taking offence from what she said. She would never hear the end of it.  
  
"You're gonna want these, too."  
  
"What is with you and underwear, Spike. Just tell me that."  
  
Spike just smirked at her.  
  
*******  
  
"I know this guy ... and he knows spells that last for days. And the burnout factor is like, nothing."  
  
"Really? He's a warlock?"  
  
"I guess. Look, I am not kidding you. This guy ... will blow your mind. He will take you to places that you can't even imagine."  
  
Buffy frowned as she heard this. What was Willow getting into? It sounded bad, whatever it was. She always knew Amy was trouble, right from day one. She made a mental note to put rat poison in her water bottle next time Willow got her to clean her cage out. That would mean no trouble for Willow in the future, and no more cage cleaning for Buffy. She grinned. Two birds, one stone. . . not a bad plan.  
  
Pushing these thoughts from her mind, she leaned forward slightly, staring intently at the screen, wondering what Willow was going to do. Then they walked into the horrible, tacky hidden place that they were going to, and Buffy burst out laughing.  
  
"What now, luv."  
  
"Oh my god! Can you say 'unsubtle metaphor'? You can so tell where they're going to go with this!" she said, tossing a few pieces of popcorn in the air and trying to catch them in her mouth.  
  
"Aren't you concerned about Red?"  
  
"She can take care of herself."  
  
"Buffy, that's Rack's place. He does some seriously dangerous stuff."  
  
"Yeah, but none of this has actually happened yet. I can still stop her." Buffy shrugged away any concern she had for Willow, and continued to catch popcorn in her mouth.  
  
"Buffy. . ."  
  
"Don't talk to me right now, Spike. I'm busy."  
  
"Busy doing what? Tossing popcorn?"  
  
"Yeah, actually! It needs a lot of concentration."  
  
"Right!" Spike scoffed, looking disgustedly at her as she continued with her sport. "I could do it with me eyes closed."  
  
"Prove it then!" Buffy shoved the huge tub of popcorn into his hands, then folded her arms across her chest, and waited.  
  
Spike picked a small piece of corn from the tub, threw his head back, tossed it in the air, and winced as it bounced off his nose.  
  
"Ow!" He said, rubbing his sore spot, as Buffy burst out laughing.  
  
"See? Not so easy!"  
  
"It were a fluke! Give us another one, and this time I'll do it easily."  
  
"No way," Buffy said, yanking the tub out of his hands. "You're not wasting the rest of my popcorn!"  
  
She turned back to the screen to see Willow and Amy still at Rack's place, both high on magic. She giggled as Amy started spinning faster and faster under Rack's control.  
  
"I'm spinning around, move out of my way! I know you're feeling me cos you like it like this!" she sang, the tune being lost completely under her endless giggles.  
  
"What is wrong with you today, luv." Spike said, frowning at her strange outburst. Buffy giggled again, blushed and hiding her head like a schoolgirl caught talking in her first grade maths lesson. He frowned as he tried to put two and two together. Giddy Buffy always meant. . .  
  
"Buffy, are you drunk?"  
  
"No," she said, in a tone that definitely meant yes.  
  
"What have you been drinking?"  
  
"Nothing!" Buffy blushed, and held out her now empty mug with a grin. "I put rum in my hot chocolate!"  
  
"And now you're mega drunk?"  
  
"Not mega drunk. Just. . . a lot drunk. Why, aren't you having fun?"  
  
"Course I am pet. I'm with you, aren't I?"  
  
Buffy giggled again.  
  
"Just please, for the sake of us all, no more singing."  
  
Buffy put on her best pout, hoping he'd 'try and get it', like he did all those years ago, but he'd already turned his attention back to the TV. Sighing, she turned back to the screen also, thinking of missed opportunities.  
  
*******  
  
"I'll leave a note for Buffy on the refrigerator. That's the first place she goes after patrolling. She's such a pig after she kills things."  
  
"Hey!" Buffy said, indignantly. "I am so not a pig! I mean, I can't even do a good pig impression. I sort of make this weird snorting noise in the back of my throat when I try and. . ."  
  
"Are you always this gobby when you're drunk?"  
  
Buffy hit him lightly on the air, and then added, "Besides, it's like Faith always said. 'Slaying makes you hungry and horny.'"  
  
Spike smirked at her. "I'll have to remember that."  
  
Buffy stuck her tongue out at him, and carried on munching on her popcorn. The endless munching was starting to get on Spike's nerves. He'd have to remember to give her something else to eat next time. Maybe a milkshake. He mentally shook his head at the thought. Over an hour of listening to Buffy make weird little sucking noises? Not when he was trying to watch the telly.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy watched with disgust as Willow made Dawn wait in the waiting room as while she got high on magic. Which, by the way, high on magic? Who came up with that lame idea? She mentally slapped herself. She was thinking like this was just a TV show that somebody created, instead of real life. Maybe she'd been hanging round Spike too long. *He* always acted like all TV was really, so maybe she'd started instinctively doing the opposite.  
  
Spike frowned at the screen, seemingly more worried about Dawn than Buffy was. "What's she doing, taking The Bit there? Can't she see it's dangerous? She's left the poor thing out in the waiting room with all those addict guys while she's getting all high in a bubble!"  
  
Buffy giggled at Spike's outburst. He always was kind of protective of Dawn. It was sweet when she thought about it. The thing that made her giggle even more, though, was the image she was now seeing, of Willow seemingly zooming through the stars. She couldn't resist, she really couldn't.  
  
"And now we're flying through the stars, hope this night will last forever!" she sang.  
  
"Very nice, luv," Spike said, still endlessly fretting about Dawn. "And what did we say about singing?"  
  
******  
  
"There's some guy named Rack."  
  
"I know who he is, he deals in magic. Black stuff, dangerous."  
  
"Hey!" Buffy said, suddenly realising something. "If you knew who Rack was, why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
"I would've done," Spike said with a smirk, "but you were so busy singing I never got the chance."  
  
Buffy turned back to the TV, and gasped as a very naked Spike stood up from the bed. *Move the camera a little lower,* she willed the screen, but the shot didn't change. She's just have to make do with memory then.  
  
"Hello, salty goodness. . ." she muttered under her breath, so quiet she could barely hear it herself.  
  
"What was that, pet?"  
  
"Uh, nothing!"  
  
"Vampire hearing, remember? I know exactly what you said. Then again, I haven't seen myself in over a hundred years, and I have to admit, I look hot."  
  
"Talk about having an ego as big as. . ." Buffy searched for the word inside her head. "As big as. . . other parts of you."  
  
"Hmm, so how big an ego are we talking?"  
  
"Oh, big. The biggest out of all the people I've ever met!" She sat back, hoping she'd done a good job in humbling him a big, but then she noticed his self-satisfied smirk, and realised what she had said, and what she'd compared it to before.  
  
She blushed crimson.  
  
********  
  
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes as she saw a shot of Willow in bed, obviously going into withdrawal.  
  
"Oh, puh-lease," she said, disgusted. "Can you say 'drug addiction'?"  
  
"You have. Many times."  
  
"I just mean, how obvious and lame a metaphor can you get?"  
  
"I know. You told me that the last time you mentioned that." He paused. "And the time before."  
  
"Hey! Don't you make fun of me!" Buffy tossed a handful of popcorn at him. It all got tangled in his hair, making him look hilarious.  
  
She burst into a fit of giggles, but it was abruptly stopped by him throwing a handful back.  
  
Buffy jumped up from the couch, bits of popcorn flying everywhere as she did so. "Oh, you are *so* dead, mister!"  
  
She grabbed the biggest handful she could get, then started pinging each individual piece at him one by one, aiming everywhere she could. And having, Slayer accuracy, every shot was on target. She was stopped, however, when Spike strode forward, snatched the tub from her hands, and emptied it all over her head.  
  
"Spike! Look what you've done!" She got down on her hands and knees, and started picking up each individual piece of popcorn off the floor. "Now it'll all stick to the carpet."  
  
"Well, clean it up quick then."  
  
"Nah." Buffy stood up, and glanced around the popcorn filled room. "I'll just say Dawn did it. Willow can clean it up with a spell, anyway."  
  
Spike raised his eyebrow in that oh-so-sexy way that made Buffy go weak at the knees. "You still letting her do the magics, after watching that."  
  
"Yeah. You see, that was all caused by Amy, and I've got this plan. . . Oh, you wouldn't understand. Let's just say, she won't be a problem." She looked round the room once more. "Anyway, I'm off to bed."  
  
"It's only 11 o'clock. I'd of thought you wouldn't even be tried by now."  
  
"Who said I was going to sleep. Besides, if I'm not tired, you'll have to tire me out, won't you," she said suggestively, before heading off up the stairs. After a moment, Spike followed. ********** A/N: Please review? PLEASE!!!! Luv y'all! 


	16. Riley Bashing

Disclaimer: It's not yours if you don't have your name on it! And I can't see Joss's name on Spike an-y-where. *checks Spike all over to check*. Nope, hasn't put his name anywhere. Unfortunately, his name is on every episode of Buffy, so I guess that's his. Spike, on the other hand, is up for grabs. Form an orderly queue, ladies, please!  
  
A/N: Told you I was updated regularly! Thanks for all your reviews, especially ello, who wrote a mini essay in hers! Reviews don't count for extra credit, you know ; ). Thanks ello, seeing you take the time to write that much about my fic really made my day!  
  
WARNING: Parts of this contain serious Riley bashing. If you're a Riley lover, beware!!! ********** Buffy lazily scanned through the list of links, not really impressed by anything she saw. She and Spike had been on the internet all morning, but they'd found nothing new so far. Episode guides, quizzes, obsession lists, chat rooms full of strange people speaking in code, the same as always really. What was that AR thing anyway? It got mentioned so many times, but no-one would tell her what it meant. It was kind of like Voldemort on Harry Potter, she thought with a laugh. A thing that struck so much terror into people's hearts, they dare not name it. She giggled again.  
  
"Find something, luv?"  
  
"No. I just thought of something funny, is all."  
  
"Do you want me to have a look?"  
  
"I can find good stuff on my own!"  
  
"You won't if you keep searching for Buffy Summers all the time."  
  
"Fine!" Buffy pushed her chair away from the computer, and put on her best pouty face. "Lets see you do better!"  
  
Spike moved his chair in front of the keyboard, then sat and thought for a second. After a moment, he remembered one of the usernames of the people they'd met in the chatrooms. 'RileySux'. Smirking, he typed "Riley" and "Hate" into the search box, and clicked enter.  
  
He was amazed a few seconds later when the search results came up. 3,456,283 matches! Grinning, he clicked on the first site listed, "FishBoy."  
  
"Hey, I found a good site, Slayer."  
  
Buffy turned back to the computer in time to see a picture of Riley doing a Marilyn Monroe impression before they were taken to the main page.  
  
"What is this?" she asked, confused. "What's Fishboy? And what are all these links?" She looked down the table of contents. "Jokes, The Riley Spinoff, The Story of Riley, Christmas Cheer. . . what is all this?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure about the second question, but if you wanna answer your first one, click the first link."  
  
Buffy looked to where he was pointing to see the words "Who is Fishboy?" Figuring she had nothing to lose, she clicked the link, and started to read out what it said.  
  
"So, you don't know what FishBoy is then? Fish Boy is a name a lot of Riley Finn haters call him." She looked at Spike. "Riley haters?!"  
  
"Yeah, there's a lot of us, apparently."  
  
"How did you find this?"  
  
"I looked for Riley and Hater on the search engine."  
  
Buffy gave him an incredulous look, but then turned back to the computer and started scrolling up and down the contents. "Well, as long as we're here, we might as well make the most of it."  
  
"So, all the people in this dimension called him 'Fish Boy'. Fish boy." He said the name slowly, as though trying it out for size. "I like it. Fishboy it is. I always thought he looked like a fish anyway." He looked at Buffy, who was still indecisively looking for a page. One particular one caught his eye.  
  
"Do that one." He pointed to one near the bottom. "Say Riley Sucks in other languages. I've always wanted to be able to do that!"  
  
Buffy complied, and soon they were staring at a page of phrases in what they assumed was Dutch.  
  
"Riley zeikt. I like it!"  
  
"What about this one?" Spike said with a smirk. "Riley is een mislukte kip."  
  
"What's it mean?"  
  
"Riley is a deformed chicken."  
  
"Ooooh, I have to learn that one."  
  
Spike looked the page up and down, and found some of the phrases quite useful.  
  
"You can put any twerp's name in here. Like. . . Peaches is een sul. The Whelp is achterlijk. We're going to have to have to bookmark this page! Learn myself some new insults."  
  
While Spike was busy trying to figure how to work the favourites, Buffy looked at some of the other phrases Spike hadn't seen, hiding at the bottom of the page.  
  
"Spike is een schatje."  
  
"What's that, love?"  
  
"It means Spike is a hottie."  
  
"I'd pretend to be modest, but I'm not going to lie to you, pet."  
  
"I'm not going to fall for the ego trap again, so don't even try!"  
  
"Fine!" Spike's eyes trailed over the links to the side again, and he spotted one that sounded like fun. "You Know You Hate Riley When. . . Shall we try that one, luv?"  
  
She nodded, and as he clicked the link, she noticed one phrase near the bottom. "Ik houd van Spike."  
  
"What's that mean, luv."  
  
"Err, Spike's an idiot."  
  
Spike grinned to himself. Buffy might not know it, but he spoke Dutch. Not much mind, but enough. He knew just what Buffy had just said, even if she wasn't going to admit herself.  
  
Spike looked at the new page that had just loaded.  
  
"You Know You Hate Riley When." He paused, then read out the first one on the list. "You've never been to Iowa, but you're sure you hate it."  
  
"Oh, that one applies to me! If I heard him say 'Iowa, born and raised' one more time, I'd scream! How boring can you get?!"  
  
"When your friend mentions that she/he likes cheese, you give him/her an evil glare."  
  
"Do NOT mention cheese. Every few days he'd start talking about that stupid stuff! You know, we'd have just finished doing. . . stuff, and he'd start talking about it. And he didn't even know the names of any of them, so it was always 'That holy cheese' or 'that strong British one'. It made me want to kill him!"  
  
Spike grinned, then carried on reading. "You have a new-found hate for anything military."  
  
"Oh yeah. Why did he always wear that uniform? I mean, he got kicked out. He shouldn't even be *allowed* to wear it, but he never took it off. I mean did Riley think it was sexy or something?"  
  
Spike snorted.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You used the words 'sexy' and 'Riley' in the same sentence, and you expected me to keep a straight face?!"  
  
"Good point."  
  
Spike turned back to the list, and read, "You just know he fantasises about having a secret orgy affair with the Backstreet Boys."  
  
"Oh my god! What was his deal with them! To start with, his obsession was cute, but after a while it was just like, 'THEY'RE CRAP, YOU STUPID CORN FED FREAK!'"  
  
"Right, Slayer. You would kill to take that damn scarf and choke him with it."  
  
Buffy's eye started twitching, and her hands started clenching and unclenching. She looked like she was about to go insane.  
  
"Maybe we should go to another site, luv, before you explode."  
  
She nodded, and he clicked on the links page. After looking through the options for a while, he found one that sounded fun.  
  
"Look at this one, Slayer. 'Midnight's Child: Why Buffy and Spike belong with each other.'"  
  
"Well, go on it then. Give us a chance to see what these people think of us being together."  
  
"Guessing they're fans considering that title."  
  
"Good point."  
  
Spike clicked the link, and was quickly taken to the site. When it loaded, he looked at it in amazement.  
  
"Reasons why Buffy and Spike belong together. Reasons why they are so alike. Reasons why Spike is waaaaay better than Angel." He stopped reading for a moment. "I like this chick. She thinks I'm better than Angel."  
  
"Must be blind."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Buffy elbowed him out of the way, and started scanning through the list. Most of them were the typical lovey dovey stuff she had been expecting, but the fifth one was a bit different.  
  
"B/A doesn't have a cool name like "Spuffy". I mean..."Bungel?" or "Anffy?" Uhh...Bagel?"  
  
"What, luv?"  
  
Buffy grinned. This was too cute. "Looks like the fans have got a name for us being together. At least we know what 'Spuffy' means now. Everyone was talking about how great it was, and I didn't have a clue what they were on about!"  
  
"But what's B/A, luv?"  
  
"I dunno." She frowned, thinking deeply. "Well, Spuffy is obviously Spike and Buffy, right? So Bungel is. . . Buffy and Angel!"  
  
"Let me get this straight. These guys are making fun of you being with Angel?"  
  
Buffy nodded. "I think so."  
  
"I'm liking these people even more!" Spike took the mouse off her, and looked further down the list.  
  
"Look at number seven. 'Blonde! Blonde is in, both Buffy and Spike have gone blonde. They match!'"  
  
Buffy nodded, smiling, then realised something. "Hey! I did not 'go blonde'! My hair is naturally this colour!"  
  
"Yeah, I believe you, pet."  
  
"It is! I've never dyed my hair. Ever!"  
  
"Maybe it's time you did. It'd look good green."  
  
"Gross, Spike!"  
  
"Just a suggestion. Think you'd look kinda formidable to the vamps if your hair was green."  
  
"Formidable, or comical?"  
  
"Same thing, luv."  
  
Buffy turned to read the next one, but Spike stopped her.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Red's coming. Don't want her to see what site we're on, do we now?"  
  
"'Spose not." Buffy reluctantly shut down the internet connection, then prepared her and Spike's alibi. They'd decided that if Spike sensed anyone coming, she would pretend to be reading some book on demonology, and Spike would read the book that Buffy had got him for Christmas.  
  
A few moments later, Willow came into the dining room.  
  
"Hi Buffy, Spike. What'cha doing?"  
  
"Oh, just doing some studying. Staying on top of the demons, that sort of thing."  
  
"Right." Her eyes glanced over Spike's book. "Evil for Dummies?!"  
  
"Gotta read summit. Besides, there are some pretty good schemes here. And I'm mentioned several times."  
  
"Oh-kay." She turned back to Buffy. "I'm going to the Magic Box. Wanna come with?"  
  
"No, thanks. Busy reading."  
  
"And then we're going to have some Spuffy, aren't we, luv?" Spike butted in, grinning.  
  
"Spuffy?!"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said, looking daggers at Spike. "It's a band. I just love em."  
  
"Uh huh. Not that clueless, Buff. Where'd you come up with that codeword? Or don't I wanna know?"  
  
"You don't wanna know."  
  
"Right, okay then. Maybe I'll see you tonight, at the Bronze?"  
  
"Yeah, sounds good."  
  
Willow grinned, nodded at Spike, then headed out the door. The minute she was gone, Buffy turned to Spike.  
  
"I hate you," she said with a laugh "You know that, right?"  
  
********** A/N: Please, please review! It's easy! Just click the little box in the bottom left hand corner, and fill out the pop up box. It's that simple! The two sites they visit are: for the Fishboy site, which is really hilarious if you're a Riley basher. You have to read the Riley Spinoffs, and the jokes. So, so funny! The other site was which was the Spuffy site, and it's one of the best Spuffy sites I've ever seen. Another good one, which I sadly couldn't work into this fic, is which has 110 ways to kill Riley - also very funny! If you know any sites they should visit, especially funny ones to do with Buffy or Spike, please tell me in your reviews! *hint* review *hint* lol =) 


	17. Gone

A/N: Thanks to everybody who reviewed! Sorry this took a while longer than I said, but I'm ill. *grumble* I tried to drag my laptop up to my bed so I could work and 'rest' at the same time, but my Mum caught me and confiscated it. I only got it back today when I promised to stop watching Buffy endlessly if she gave it me back. She doesn't seem to think being ill is any excuse to watch ever single episode I own (as in, every single episode there is) one after the other for 3 days solid. Don't know why! Lol.  
  
Thanks also to the 5 million reviewers who told me that the language wasn't German, but Dutch. *blushes* I don't speak either language, but it had Ich in it, and that's German, right? Anyway, it's fixed now, so thanks to everyone who pointed it out!  
  
**********  
  
Buffy sipped her drink lazily, not taking much notice of the bustle around her. She had come to the Bronze, hoping for a nice, normal night out. The minute she had got there, however, all she had wanted to do was go home. Xander and Anya were on the dance floor, dancing crazily to the band, who, Buffy noted, weren't very good. Willow was sitting next to her, but was busy moping. Amy had mysteriously died the night before, as she had discovered that afternoon. Buffy almost felt guilty, but then remembered what would have happened if she hadn't died 'accidentally'. She really didn't want to have Amy living in her house. That girl gave her the creeps.  
  
The thing that was depressing Buffy the most, though, was the fact that Spike had stayed home to look after Dawn. If she was going to be depressed, he could at least be there so that she would have someone to take it out on.  
  
After a moment, she got to her feet.  
  
"Where're you going, Buff? The night's only just started."  
  
"Sorry, Will, but I'm gonna take a raincheck. Not really in the mood for the Bronze scene tonight."  
  
"Okay, go. I'll be alright by myself."  
  
"Xander and Anya are here."  
  
"Yeah, but they don't look like they're going to stop dancing anytime soon, and there's no way I'm dancing with them."  
  
"Right. 'Night, Will."  
  
"'Night, Buff."  
  
*******  
  
Spike sat on the couch, smoking. Buffy didn't like him smoking in her house, but she wasn't here to stop him. The Bit had gone to bed, so it was just him and the telly. Normally a good thing, but tonight, not so much. There was nothing good on, and he couldn't watch the tape until Buffy came back. So he was smoking. So stake him. It wasn't like he'd never done something wrong before.  
  
He took another drag, then stopped, sensing someone coming up the drive. Shit, he thought. Buffy.  
  
Looking around, he tried to find somewhere to put out his cigarette. Finally, he settled on the fruit bowl. By the time she found the ashes, he'd be long gone.  
  
He slouched back on the couch just as Buffy opened the door.  
  
"Back so soon, luv."  
  
"Yeah. It was so. . ." she stopped, and looked around, sniffing. "Have you been *smoking* in here?"  
  
Deciding there was no point in lying, Spike said, "Well, yeah. Wanna make something of it?"  
  
"How many times have I told you not to smoke it here?"  
  
"A far few, I'd wager."  
  
Buffy dug around in a draw, and pulled out an air freshener. She handed it to him, and said, "Now, you can go round and spray this everywhere you've been with that thing."  
  
"Turning into a right little housewife, aren't you, Slayer," he said, but he went around the house spraying that awful stuff anyway. Personally, he thought smoke smelled better than Citrus Fresh, but it was her house. He just spent most of his unlife here.  
  
When he'd finished, he went back into the living room to find Buffy collapsed on the couch, the remote in her hand.  
  
"So, I'm guess we're watching the videos again."  
  
"Yep."  
  
Spike sat down next to her, and said, "So what're you waiting for, luv."  
  
"Oh, right." She pressed play, and watched as the episode started.  
  
They were cleaning out the house, getting rid of anything to do with magic. Which probably meant that they wouldn't have anything left in the house once they'd finished. Spike smiled to himself and slouched down into the soft material.  
  
"Any reminder of, of what it is that she's trying to stay away from, you know, could cause her to. . . give in to temptation."  
  
"Hey, that's my lighter!"  
  
"And that would be bad."  
  
"What are you doing? Why are you throwing away my lighter?"  
  
"What are you looking at me for? It's not like I did it yet."  
  
"Bloody special is that lighter. Got it in the seventies. Not gonna let you just chuck it, now am I?"  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Spike." It was just a lighter. She didn't know why he was making such a fuss. If it was *that* old, he definitely needed a new one.  
  
"Right then, Slayer, I'll just chuck Mr Gordo away next time I see him."  
  
"You wouldn't dare!"  
  
"Would too!"  
  
"Would not!"  
  
"Would too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Too!"  
  
"Too!"  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Ha!" Buffy said triumphantly. "Gotcha!"  
  
"You do realise that was beyond childish, pet?"  
  
"Don't care."  
  
Spike just shook his head, and turned back to the TV.  
  
The nerds were testing out some new machine gun type thing. He glanced at Buffy, and she frowned.  
  
"If they've made themselves a decent weapon, we could end up with a serious problem."  
  
She leaned forward slightly as Warren aimed the gun, pulled the trigger, and turned the chair. . . invisible?  
  
"Oh my God! An invisibility ray? That's their world conquering weapon?!"  
  
"It could be dangerous, luv."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well. . . they could turn. . . um. . . fine then!"  
  
"Yeah! You're right! They're unstoppable!"  
  
Spike just hit her on the arm.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"I didn't hit you very hard."  
  
"Yeah, but, super-strength!"  
  
"What? You mean the super strength which isn't as strong as yours?"  
  
"But still!"  
  
Spike shook his head in dismay, and turned back to the screen.  
  
"Spike! Spike! Are you ignoring me? Spike!!!"  
  
********  
  
"I'm scared. What if we get caught?"  
  
"No way, we'll be invisible. Plus their security's gotten lax."  
  
Buffy frowned slightly. What were they going to do? Whatever it was, it sounded dangerous.  
  
When they walked around the corner, however, she burst out laughing.  
  
"Their master plan is to sneak into the spa?! God, they've done some stupid things, but this. . ." she broke off as she bent over double from laughing.  
  
She gained her composure in time to see herself get hit by a stray beam from the ray. She then instantly turned invisible.  
  
"Cool!"  
  
*******  
  
"I am the ghost of fashion victims past. Studded caps? Not a good idea?"  
  
"Scaring the public, are we now, Slayer?" Spike said with a smirk. "What happened to you being all good, an' all?"  
  
"I am being good. I mean, I was saving her from herself! Studded caps? Can you say over?!"  
  
"Not telling you off, pet, just wondering."  
  
"You know what else is over?" She said with a grin to rival his. "The whole Billy Idol look."  
  
"Hey! This is *not* the Billy Idol look! He nicked the look from me!"  
  
"Why would anyone want to take *that* look. Especially a vampire. How do you even sneak up on your victims with hair that bright? I'm surprised it doesn't glow in the dark." She burst into a fresh wave of giggles, and collapsed sideways to spread out over the whole couch.  
  
"What now, luv?"  
  
"I'm just seeing you with glow in the dark hair. It's kinda cool."  
  
Spike glanced at the screen to see what he assumed was Buffy stealing a policeman's cart.  
  
"Stealing, now, is it? You sink lower every day, pet."  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"I'm not falling for that one again."  
  
Buffy just stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
*********  
  
Buffy frowned as Xander started moving through Spike's crypt. This was worrying. What happened if he found them together? Not a good thought. Which prompted her to think about another problem. When *was* she to tell Xander about the two of them. Willow knew, and she was pretty sure Dawn had figured it out too. Anya wouldn't care. The only thing Buffy was worried about with her was the inevitable discussion about what it was like to sleep with the undead, but that was nothing compared to how Xander would react. Sighing, she excepted the fact that there were going to be arguments. And probably quite big ones.  
  
She was brought out of her thoughts by Spike's loud laugh. Jumping, she looked at the screen to see him, well, moving under the covers, with Xander watching in horror. A small giggle escaped her. She couldn't help it. Xander's face was just so funny.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"What am I. . . what does it look like I'm doing, you nit? I'm exercising, aren't I?"  
  
"Exercising. Naked. In bed."  
  
"Git," Spike said bitterly.  
  
"Spike!"  
  
"What? He is! You're invisible, he saw us together that morning, and he comes into my crypt, *without knocking*, and sees me doing that, and he *still* doesn't put two and two together?!"  
  
"Well, there's still no excuse for name calling."  
  
"So what do you call what you do to me?"  
  
"Abusive nicknaming."  
  
"Right, Slayer."  
  
"The only reason you're here is because you're not here."  
  
"Right. Of course, as usual there's something wrong with Buffy. She came back all wrong."  
  
Buffy hung her head sadly. She hadn't told him, but what Spike had said in that episode had been preying on her mind. Why could he hit her?  
  
Spike turned to see tears forming in the Slayer's eyes.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?"  
  
Buffy shook her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's just. . . the things you said, about me being a demon. I. . . it upset me a bit, that's all."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Spike took Buffy in his arms and held her close. "Look, I'm sorry, luv, okay? I didn't mean to upset you. I was just upset. Well, I think I was upset, it hasn't happened yet. But, there could be loads of reasons why it isn't working on you. Maybe it's cos of your Slayer ability got it all confused. Being a Slayer's not exactly human, is it?"  
  
"But it's not just humans, is it? It's all living things. I mean, you can't even pick flowers."  
  
"Hey! Yes I can! Who told you that? Was it the Bit?! I can too pick flowers!"  
  
"Sure, Spike. Why would you want to, anyway? I thought Big Bad's don't do that sort of thing."  
  
If Spike could've blushed, she was sure he would have then. "I don't. It's the principle of the thing."  
  
"Right, Spike."  
  
"I don't!"  
  
"Sure, Spike. Whatever you say." ***********  
  
A/N: Please review!!! Please! I've got First Date coming up as the new episode this week, and I've been told it's painful to watch. Buffy and Wood?! *is sick* Yuk! Sorry anyone who ships them! Anyway, I'm obviously going to be depressed come Thursday night when it's on, and an unhappy writer is a slow writer, so please review to keep me happy! 


	18. Of Fashion and Fiction

A/N: Didn't think I'd ever say this but. . . First Date was great! Aww, the end was so sweet, and now Spike can kill Wood! Please let him kill Wood. I don't care that he's not evil, I want him dead! Lol. I've finally got a website - nothing special, but still, it's a start! Sorry this chapter took a while but I went away and had no laptop to type with. It's here now anyway, so enjoy!!! BTW, thanks to the person who told me there was a problem with this chapter, it's all fixed now! (I hope. . .) **********  
  
Buffy yawned slightly as she put the next tape in. She needed to keep an eye on the time. Willow could come back from the Bronze, and if she saw them watching themselves on the TV, there would definitely be questions.  
  
Trying to ignore that thought for the moment, she snuggled back onto the couch, and watched the episode start. It was a fairly slow start, mind. Just the other Scoobies sitting around, talking about her. It sounded like she had got herself a job, but none of them were mentioning what it was. *Not good* she thought. *If they're not mentioning it, it can't be good.*  
  
She blushed crimson when she saw herself enter the room, dressed completely in orange with the world's stupidest hat on her head.  
  
"Nice look, luv."  
  
"Shut up, Spike."  
  
"It was a compliment!"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"I mean it. Orange is a good colour for you. Makes you look all. . . traffic coney."  
  
Buffy smacked Spike round the head, as hard as she could.  
  
"Ow! What was that for?"  
  
She just glowered at him, and turned back to the screen.  
  
A few minutes later, he spoke again.  
  
"What I wanna know, luv, is if you're so poor, why do you keep buying all these brand new designer clothes to wear? Aren't your other 5 million pairs of trousers decent enough? And do you really need *another* jumper to go with them?"  
  
Buffy scowled, and tossed her hair over her shoulder like the girl in the shampoo commercial. "A girl needs to keep up with the latest style. It's not like you, who only has one t-shirt, one pair of jeans and one pair of boots."  
  
"I'll have you know I have lots of different shirts!" Buffy gave him a look, and he continued. "They're all exactly the same, but I still have a bunch of 'em."  
  
Buffy shook her head, and tried to carry on watching the episode. After a while, though, she got fidgety.  
  
"Luv, could you at least try to sit still. You're causing a mini earthquake here."  
  
"It's just. . . this episode is so *boring*. Can't we do something else?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like. . . go on the internet?"  
  
"If we must, luv."  
  
Buffy giggled, bounced of the couch, and ran into the dining room. Spike slowly followed her, not bothering to stop the tape. When he got to the table he saw that Buffy had already logged on, and was quickly typing something into the search engine.  
  
He leaned closer to read what she had put. "Fanfiction?"  
  
"Yeah! It was so funny last time we read some, so I thought, why not read some more?"  
  
Spike pretended to collapse in the chair from shock. "*Buffy Summers* wanting to do some reading? Willingly?!"  
  
"Shut up, Spike." She pressed search, and watched as the options appeared. "FanFiction.net. That sounds good." She clicked the link, and then proceeded to make her way to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer section of the site.  
  
"Right, there we go. Now all we need to do is choose a fic."  
  
They scrolled through the options for a few minutes, before Spike noticed one which sounded good.  
  
"Hey, look at this one, Slayer. 'Fifty Fifty, by PassionFish.' Says it has audience participation. Shall we have a look?"  
  
"Your call."  
  
Spike clicked the link and started to read the fic.  
  
"'Buffy smirked at her opponent, brandishing her stake threateningly.'  
  
'Her opponent just smirked right back, as they continued to circle one another.'"  
  
"Alright, Spike. You don't have to read it out loud!"  
  
"Just thought you'd want a little help, luv, seeing as you haven't read anything since High School."  
  
"I have too!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well. . . fashion magazines, and the TV guide, and the menu at McDonalds. See, I read lots of things!"  
  
"Well, if you can read, Slayer, then do so!"  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him, but he didn't notice, as he was too busy reading the fic in front of him. It was about him making a bet with Buffy. Kinda like real life, in fact, as he and Buffy often made bets to pass the boring hours in the cemetery. This was a stupid bet though. If Buffy won, he had to give her driving lessons, which was very scary. He'd experienced Buffy's driving, and never wanted to again. However, if he won, she had to ask him to dance. Such a lame bet. He'd come up with much better ones in his unlife. Could have possibilities though, depending on how it went.  
  
When he got to the end, he started tapping his fingers on the desk, waiting for Buffy.  
  
"Right, Slayer. So, what are we picking?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Red-and-black or coral?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Spike sighed, and started to read out the last few sentences on the page.  
  
"'If you want Spike to win....choose the red and black pill! If you want Buffy to win, choose the coral pill.'"  
  
"Oh! I didn't read that bit. I don't bother reading the notes at the bottom. They're just people rambling on about their favourite characters, what happened in last night's ep, and begging people to review. What's the point? I mean. . ."  
  
"As much as I love to hear you ramble, pet, you gotta choose one."  
  
"Right. Well, obviously coral. There's no way *you* would win!"  
  
Spike scowled, and choose the fic that had Buffy Wins at the top. Resisting the urge to read it out loud, he started to scroll down the page.  
  
While Spike was shaking inwardly at so much as the thought of giving Buffy driving lessons, Buffy was grinning. *Driving lessons with Spike* she thought with a giggle. *Could be fun.* She was annoyed at the writer's portrayal of her skills though. She wasn't *that* bad a driver. She opened her mouth to comment on the idea of lessons, but was quickly cut off.  
  
"No."  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"No!"  
  
"You don't even know what I was going to say!"  
  
"Yes I bloody well do! I'm not getting in a car with you at the wheel. I wouldn't even go near a car with you at the wheel."  
  
"That's really un. . ."  
  
"Sorry, luv, but I value my unlife."  
  
"I'm not *that* bad."  
  
"Yes you are. The answer's no."  
  
Buffy turned away from him then, crossed her arms and pouted.  
  
"Sulking now, are we, luv? Very mature."  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him, and continued to sulk. Sighing, he tried to finish reading the story.  
  
About a minute later, however, Buffy let out a sound of disgust.  
  
"What now, pet?"  
  
"This is disgusting. It's like porn or something! These people are really sick! I don't want to read any more." She clicked the back button, and started to look for another fic to read.  
  
"Hey! I was reading that!"  
  
"Tough. Now you're not."  
  
He tried to wrestle the mouse of her, desperate to read the rest. "I'm the one who chose the fic in the first place, and I wanna finish it!"  
  
"Well, you can't. I'm the slayer, and I say you can't!"  
  
"You stole that line from the fic!"  
  
Buffy blushed, but tried to act as though she hadn't. "So?"  
  
In the end, Spike gave up. She was definitely in one of those moods.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy let the mouse hover over one of the fic names, then clicked it, deciding that this time she would read the summary before she let Spike get any further. She was sure he watched enough porn without her helping him.  
  
"'Elizabeth Anne Summers is a champion show jumper, who can no longer jump due to a wrist injury. William "Spike" Giles is a Triple Crown winning jockey. The two meet when their parents join in a business venture and neither are on the other's good side. And yet despite the hatred that flows between they, something more starts to happen.'" She frowned, and clicked the back button.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"It sounded like it would have more sick stuff, so I decided we aren't reading it. Besides, it was ridiculous!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You? A champion jockey?"  
  
"I'll have you know that was my life ambition when I was human!" The instant he said that, he regretted it.  
  
"What? *You* were a jockey? That nerd I saw was a jockey?!"  
  
"Well, no," Spike mumbled, obviously ashamed of what he was about to say. "I was scared of speed and crowds and loud noises. I liked horses though."  
  
Buffy giggled. "I hate the things!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's another reason why it could never happen. I hate them. They bite, and kick, and squeal and all sorts. They're scary things."  
  
"Lemme get this straight. Buffy, the Slayer, the Chosen One, will go out every night and fight vampires and demons and the forces of darkness without a thought, but is terrified of horses."  
  
"Yeah. So?"  
  
"And you think I was pathetic, luv."  
  
"Hey!" Buffy was cross to say the least, but couldn't think of a decent comeback, so she tried to ignore it and scrolled through the list once more.  
  
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "these people seem to know a lot about us. And they all seem to speak the same code. We should ask one of them what it means!"  
  
Without waiting for Spike to reply, she selected a random user, elven- princess88, and clicked the link to email them.  
  
^Hi^ she typed.  
  
^Me and my friend are new to this website, and we don't really understand what people are talking about sometimes. We're wondering if you could help us.^  
  
"Why do you keep putting 'we' all the time, luv. I don't give a toss either way."  
  
"Shut it, Spike."  
  
^Could you please tell us what 'AR' and 'the bathroom scene' are, as everyone seems to be talking about them, and we don't know what they are.  
  
Thanks a lot,  
  
Buffy and Spike.^  
  
"You can't put that!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because these people don't know that we're real. Put that and they'll think you're stupid, insane or both."  
  
"Fine!" she said, and changed it to ^Spuffy Fan^.  
  
Before Spike could object again, she clicked send and grinned as her message went through cyber space.  
  
Closing the email program, she looked at the fics this person had written. "Look at this one, Spike. 'Surfing With Spike.' Do you wanna reads it?"  
  
Spike nodded. "You pestered the poor girl with your email, so you'd better at least read her fic."  
  
Buffy clicked on it, and was about to start reading when. . .  
  
"SPIKE!"  
  
Jumping, Buffy quickly closed down the internet program. She'd have to read it another time.  
  
Spike had already gone into the hallway, to find Dawn standing at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Spike? Is Buffy back yet?"  
  
"Yeah, Nibblet. She's here." Buffy followed him into the hall, and glared up the stairs at her sister.  
  
"What are you doing, Dawn?"  
  
"I want a snack. Sorry if I was *interrupting* anything."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Dawn."  
  
"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes, and started into the living room. She stopped dead, however, when her eyes fell on the TV screen.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
The couple ran after her, to see what she was looking at. They had left the TV on, and now all three of them were treated to a show of Spike and Buffy having sex against a wall.  
  
Buffy leapt forward, and quickly turned it off. Looking daggers at Spike, she said, "Why don't you get your snack and then go back to bed, Dawn."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Home video," Spike said quickly.  
  
"What?! You guys taped yourself doing *that*?!"  
  
"Dawn," Buffy said warningly.  
  
"I mean, if you guys are trying to be all secretive, the least you could do is not leave tapes of you two getting it on playing where anyone could see it."  
  
"Dawn!"  
  
"And couldn't you find a more romantic spot than outside a fast food restaurant?"  
  
"Dawn! Go back to bed!"  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"Now!"  
  
She glared at Buffy for a second, then stormed upstairs. As she went, she said, "I'm just saying, you must have been *really* horny. I mean, a fast food restaurant?!"  
  
"DAWN!" ********** A/N: The fics mentioned are Fifty Fifty by Passion Fish, Trail to the Roses by Angelchick007, and Surfing With Spike by ME!!! Please review! Happy Easter everyone! 


	19. Dancing Date

A/N: Now, gentle viewers, we are going to take another journey into the world of Buffy, Slayer of the Vampyres. Lol. Sorry, but I just watched Storyteller, and I didn't stop laughing all the way through. Wood looked very, umm. . . sexy with that plaster on his head. LOL. Here's the new chapter. Sorry for making you wait, but you know, exams coming up, and all that. ********** A few days had passed since Dawn had seen the tapes, and Buffy was still blushing. Every time Dawn saw her and Spike together she gave them funny looks, and she was sick of getting sarcastic comments when she suggested they go to McDonalds.  
  
And now Buffy was bored. Everyone else had gone to The Bronze, but she'd decided not to go so she could avoid Dawn's comments, and Willow's knowing glances. She wished she'd gone, though. There was a 'surprise performer' there that night, part of the Bronze's attempt to lure new customers. They were finding it hard to get people to come these days, with their death rate being so high.  
  
Spike had come over, but she still wasn't having any fun. She was in an awkward, sulky mood, and didn't feel like doing anything at all. Every time Spike suggested something she could do, she just sighed and replied 'Whatever. I don't mind."  
  
The phone rang, and Buffy dragged herself of the couch and into the hall. Even talking to the tele-sales people was better than this. She was so bored she was even going to pretend to be interested.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi Buffy! It's me."  
  
"Oh, hey, Willow." Was she disappointed that it wasn't someone selling something? She really needed to get a life.  
  
"You will never guess who's singing at the Bronze!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Guess!"  
  
"Umm. . . Christina Aguilara?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"J-Lo?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"The Sex Pistols?"  
  
"The Sex Pistls? You've been hanging around Spike too long."  
  
"N-Sync?"  
  
"They're not even a band any more. Ooh, but you're close!"  
  
Buffy frowned. How could she be close with N-sync? Then it clicked.  
  
******  
  
Spike was flopped on the couch, wondering why he had come over there at all. Buffy was sulking, and sulky Buffy usually resulted in him being thumped.  
  
He jumped up straight when he heard a shriek come from the hallway.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
He ran into the hall, to find Buffy. . . talking on the phone?  
  
"Oh my God, are you serious? We are talking about the same Justin, right? Justin Timberlake? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I'll be there in a sec. Okay, bye."  
  
Buffy turned to Spike, a huge grin on her face.  
  
"You'll never believe who's singing at the Bronze!"  
  
*******  
  
Buffy and Spike walked into the Bronze, looking around at the full dance floor. Well, Spike walked. Buffy sort of bounced, wearing a grin so wide Spike was sure her face would break. She scrambled over to the table where Willow and Dawn were sitting, dragging Spike along with her.  
  
"Hi, you guys!"  
  
"Hey Buffy. Spike." Willow gave Buffy a knowing look.  
  
"Hi Buffy. What kept you? Did you go down to McDonalds again?"  
  
Willow looked confused, but Buffy just rolled her eyes. She knew this would happen. She knew there was a reason why she shouldn't have come.  
  
Her frown was replaced by a smile when she glanced up on stage. There he was, in all his sexy glory. She sank slowly down into her chair, not taking her eyes off the stage the whole time.  
  
*******  
  
Spike didn't know why they'd bothered coming. Buffy hadn't danced once. She hadn't even spoken. She'd just stared at that wanker on stage. Not that he wanted to dance, anyway. Not with the whelp and his girlfriend on the floor, arms flailing. He definitely didn't want to get too close to that.  
  
# Dum Dub-a-dum # Buffy suddenly jumped to her feet, grabbed Spike's hand, and ran towards the stage.  
  
"What is it, pet?"  
  
"Shh!"  
  
# Just something about you.#  
  
"I LOVE this song!" Buffy squealed, and stopped running right in front of the stage. Before Spike could protest, she'd dragged him to her, and started to dance.  
  
# I kind of noticed, from one night From the club, your front face. #  
  
Spike heard that, and frowned. It made him think of when him and Buffy had first met. She was dancing at the Bronze, and he had been spying on her from the shadows. He had to admit, he'd fancied her even then.  
  
# It's kind of weird to me Since you're so fine If it's up to me your face will change. #  
  
Now it was getting decidedly creepy. The first thing he'd thought when he'd first seen her was not that he had to kill her, but that he had to make her a vampire. He'd quickly pushed the thought aside, but it had always been there.  
  
# Ain't nobody love you like I love you, You're a good girl and that's what makes me trust ya, Late at night, I talk to you. You will know the difference when I touch you. #  
  
Spike grinned. If Buffy was thinking what he was thinking about this song, this might get across the message she just didn't seem to get.  
  
******* # People are so phony, Nosy coz they're lonely, Aren't you sick of the same thing? They say so and so was dating, Love you or they're hatin, When it doesn't matter anyway.#  
  
Xander frowned. Across the dance floor, he was sure he could see Buffy dancing with Spike. But she hated Spike, didn't she? He had to remember to ask Willow about that one.  
  
*******  
  
# Yeah, you know I can make ya happy, I could change your life. If you give me that chance, To be your man. I won't let you down baby. If you give me that chance, To be your man. Here baby, put on my jacket. #  
  
Buffy frowned. This song always reminded her of her and Spike, but she'd never noticed that part before. For a moment she had thought he'd sung "If you give me that chance to be #a# man." She knew he didn't, but it still made her think about how she'd treated Spike in the past. Maybe she shouldn't have been as hard on him. He did try.  
  
She started grinning in anticipation as her favourite part came up. This bit always reminded her of her and Spike the most. With a giggle, she started to rap along.  
  
*******  
  
Spike stared at Buffy, wide-eyed. Was she. . . rapping?! Now that was something you didn't see every day. Entranced by her voice, he listened to the words.  
  
# Ma, what chu wanna do? I'm in front of you Grab a friend, see I can have fun with two Or me and you put on a stage show And the mall kids, that's how to change low From them you heard "wow, it's the same glow" Look at me, I say "yeah, it's the same dough" We the same type, you my air of life You have sleepin in the same bed, er'night # Go rock with me, you deserve the best Take a few shots Let it burn in your chest We could ride down Pumpin N.E.R.D. in the deck Funny how a few words turn into sex Play this free, joint called "brain" Ma, take a hint Make me suerve in the lane The name Malicious And I burn every track Clipse and J. Timberlake Now how heavy is that? #  
  
Buffy broke into giggles as the song went back to the chorus.  
  
"Never knew you rapped, luv."  
  
"Yeah, well that one's kinda special."  
  
"Special, how?"  
  
"Well, it's reminds me of someone."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
# You know, I used to dream about this when I was a little boy. I never thought it would end up this way. Drums. #  
  
Buffy walked closer to Spike, closing the gap between them, and spoke along with Justin.  
  
# It's kind of special right? Yeah. You know, you think about it Sometimes people just destined Destined to do what they do. And that's what it is Now everybody dance. #  
  
"That's what we do, right? Dance?"  
  
"That's all we've ever done."  
  
Buffy hesitated for a moment, worrying about the others seeing. Then she decided, so what? The rest'll find out soon enough anyway. And Dawn'll always be annoying, whatever. With one quick movement, she leaned up, and crushed her lips against his in a midnumbing kiss, leaving Xander to watch from across the room with disbelief.  
  
A/N: Please review! Thanks. 


	20. With A Little Help From Her Friends

A/N: Oh. My. Goddess. That is the only way to describe Chosen. Yes, us English people FINALLY saw Chosen 3 days ago, and I'm still in shock. I've seen it 3 times already (long live video recorders) and I'm still distraught in "that bit". You know the part I mean. I can't believe they killed off my two favourite characters! And Spike didn't believe Buffy! Or did he, and he was lying to make her leave? Or was she lying? It makes my head hurt. Please tell me what you think, because I just don't know!  
  
Anyway, my exams are (finally) over, so although I still have school, I have a lot more time to write. So I've finally updated this chapter, and hopefully the next one will be up a lot sooner. You can all threaten me if it doesn't.  
  
***********  
  
The kiss was stopped abruptly when Xander stormed over and flung the two of them apart.  
  
"What the HELL do you think you're doing?"  
  
Buffy frowned at him. "What the hell do you think *you're* doing?"  
  
"I'm saving you from yourself. He's a vampire, Buffy. He's a *demon*."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And? And?! What other reason do you need? Spike equals demon, and demon equals evil. Evil things are for slaying, Buffy, not for laying."  
  
"Oh, right. That's why you've never been with Anya for 3 years."  
  
"That's different."  
  
"Why? Why is this any different than what you and Anya have?"  
  
"Because he's evil, Buffy. He's a killer. End of story."  
  
"You're just jealous that I'd rather be with another vampire than with you! Come on Spike."  
  
She grabbed Spike's arm and pulled him towards the door. As they were about to go through, Anya came up to them.  
  
"Don't listen to Xander. He's just jealous of Spike's good looks." She turned to face him, and licked her lips slightly. "Now, if you two ever break up, don't forget to give me a call." She turned back to a seething Buffy, and grinned. "I wish you lots of orgasms."  
  
*******  
  
They took a shortcut through the cemetery on their way home. For a normal person, shortcuts through cemeteries only happened in scary horror movies, but for them, it was just an excuse for Buffy to let her anger out.  
  
"Demons equal evil, Buffy!" Buffy shouted bitterly, as she kicked the unsuspecting vampire around the gravestones. "Demons are for slaying, Buffy, not for laying!"  
  
"Who are you talking to? Who's Buffy?" The vampire asked, obviously confused.  
  
"Shut up!" She did a high kicked, aimed at the neck, and with a comforting crack it broke, turning the vampire to dust.  
  
"Whoa," Spike said. "I'd hate to be fighting you tonight, Slayer. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were pretty pissed off."  
  
"Too right I'm pissed off! How dare he say that to me. I mean, he's the perfect example of not dating demons, isn't he? Insect Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Anya. How are they any different from me and you? Cordelia was more evil than you are!"  
  
"Hey! There is no way a prom queen is badder than I am."  
  
"And you're practically like Angel now. You've got your chip, and you wouldn't hurt anyone anyway."  
  
"I am NOT like the poof! You think I'm like the poof?! Well that's just bloody great!"  
  
"I just meant you're good now, like Angel. You help the helpless."  
  
"We're very different. Our hair's a completely different colour, and he's way fatter than I am!"  
  
"Okay, okay, don't take it so personal."  
  
"I mean, he's a wimp. And his hair sticks up all weird. He uses way too much hair gel. And he is so righteous. I'm not righteous. I'm. . . wrongeous!"  
  
"Spike. . ."  
  
"And he has a soul. Do I have a soul? Nooo. Only soft vampires have a soul. Do I look soft to you? Do I? Tell me the truth." He paused for an answer, but it didn't come. Looking around, he realised that Buffy had already stormed off, and was rapidly becoming a little spot in the distance.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy flopped down on the couch, seriously considering buying a pair of earplugs.  
  
"And another thing. . ."  
  
"Spike, if you say one more word about Angel, I will stake your ass."  
  
He frowned, but didn't say anything else. With a satisfied little smirk, Buffy pushed the video into the machine, and sat back, ready to watch another episode of her life.  
  
The camera panned around Spike's crypt, and Buffy could hear strange noises in the background. Thudding and. . . groaning? She made a mental note to keep an eye on the door. If Dawn came home and saw this. . . the last thing she needed was to give the girl some more fire power to tease her with.  
  
She watched her and Spike's silly bantering with slight amusement. She couldn't see this happening now. In fact, she couldn't see any of the things she'd seen happening. *Maybe Anya was right* she though. *Maybe us watching these episodes has affected things.* She wondered whether she should stop watching before things got screwed up even more, but then mentally shook her head. If things were already affected, what difference would a few more episodes make? She'd watch to the end of the season, and then she'd stop.  
  
********  
  
A few minutes later, Buffy watched in confusion as Warren stalked around a bar, looking at the girls.  
  
"What do you think he's going to do?"  
  
"Dunno, luv. I'll go out on a limb and say it's gonna be pathetic, whatever it is."  
  
Warren pulled some weird flashing thing out of his pocket, and Katrina looked at it blankly.  
  
"Okay, so what was that meant to do?"  
  
"What?! He made that thing so he could control his ex-girlfriend? That is so sick!"  
  
"Yeah, well, the guy is pretty sick, luv."  
  
"Yeah, but this really takes the biscuit. I mean, mind control? That's awful!"  
  
Buffy paused from her rant for a moment, and glanced at the screen. When she saw what was happening her anger went out of her mind completely.  
  
"Are they *dancing*?"  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
"Why are they dancing? This is really scary. We all swore never to dance again. It's just too creepy after what happened with Sweet."  
  
"Plus there's the fact that none of you can dance. That should count too, you know. None of you seemed to care that I had to put up with the lot of you screeching your heads off when that demon came. Nearly killed me, that did."  
  
"Shut up, Spike."  
  
*******  
  
"Oh my God," Buffy said, almost shaking with rage. "That poor girl. I can't believe that bastard nearly did that to her. How dare he try to rape someone! That's just about the worst thing he could have done! I'm sorry, but this is personal now. I am going to find that guy, and I'm going to kill him."  
  
"Buffy. . ."  
  
"No, Spike! I don't care that I don't kill humans! That guy isn't human if he can do that! He's a thing. A disgusting, evil thing."  
  
"No, Buffy. Look." Spike gestures towards the screen, and Buffy saw what he was talking about. Katrina was lying on a flight of stairs, dead.  
  
"What?" Buffy stared at the screen, wide eyed. "He. . . he killed her?" She seemed lost for words for a moment, then stood up suddenly.  
  
"I have to find him. I have to find him and kill him in the worst way possible. He's a sick, twisted bastard for doing what he did and I'll be damned if I don't make sure he's punished."  
  
"Buffy," Spike said, gently grabbing her arm and pulling back down to sit on the couch beside him. "There's nothing you can do. This hasn't even happened in our world yet. All you can try to do is stop this from really happening, and there's no way that'll happen tonight."  
  
Buffy sighed, and leaned against Spike's chest. "I know, I'm sorry. I don't know, I just. . . seeing him do that made me so mad I just wanted to hurt him."  
  
"You will, pet. But not for something he hasn't done yet. And not tonight."  
  
Buffy nodded slowly, wiping the tears away from her face. "When, then?"  
  
"Soon. But not 'til after they've used that invisibility ray. Having an invisible slayer all of my very own looked like fun."  
  
Buffy elbowed him in the rib, but she was smiling.  
  
*******  
  
"So, you have to work hard to stop thinking about me, pet?"  
  
Buffy pushed him lightly, then turned back to watch a girl being chased by demon. She saw herself tackle one of them, and then look around confused as both the demon and the girl disappeared.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Hmmm, deja-vu."  
  
Buffy shushed him as the screen flashed again, this time showing Katrina sitting crying on the ground.  
  
"And again I say huh. What's going on? I thought she was dead."  
  
Another flash, and Katrina was gone.  
  
"Okay, this is beyond weird now."  
  
She watched more flashes, and quickly became more and more confused.  
  
"You want another deja-vu moment?" Buffy said. "Spike, what's happening?"  
  
"Reckon it's those demons. Look like Rwasundis" After seeing Buffy give him a blank look, he sighed and said, "The hooded demon things. They distort time and what-not. Hang around 'em too long and your head'll get seriously messed."  
  
Buffy nodded, watching as time continued to change. She gasped in shock as she saw herself accidentally hit Katrina hard, sending her flying backwards over the edge of the cliff.  
  
"Oh God."  
  
She watched herself run down the cliff after her, stumbling in the undergrowth.  
  
Buffy gaped at the screen, unshed tears gathering in her eyes. If she thought she couldn't get anymore wide-eyed, however, she was wrong. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw Katrina standing nearby, watching them.  
  
"God, how many times do you have to kill that bird before she'll stay dead?" Spike asked, frustrated.  
  
"Spike!"  
  
"Sorry, luv. But it's true."  
  
She frowned at him, but didn't say anything as she watched herself and Spike argue as he dragged her through the forest, willing the screen to explain what the hell was going on. Eventually, Warren and Andrew appeared on the screen.  
  
"What?"  
  
"He said, 'Two problems, one stone' pet."  
  
Buffy gave him a withering look. "Thanks for your help."  
  
She became even more confused when Katrina herself walked into the van. However, it all became clear when she turned back into Jonathon.  
  
"Those bastards! They set me up! Oh, I am SO going to kill them!"  
  
"Tomorrow, luv."  
  
"Right. *Tomorrow*, I am so going to kill them."  
  
********  
  
She watched herself tell Dawn that she's going to go to the police with mixed emotions. She still felt angry with Warren for doing this, but she also felt a little annoyed with Dawn for not being very sympathetic. She had thought she'd killed someone and all Dawn could go on about was the fact the she was "abandoning" her. Finally, she felt very sorry for herself, which was definitely the weirdest feeling of all. It was strange feeling sorry for a character in a TV show, who also happened to be her. Just thinking that made her head hurt.  
  
Now she was standing outside the police station, ready to go inside.  
  
"I know you're trying to protect me, but there's a line, you know."  
  
"And I supposed you're trying to tell me that that line comes before stopping the woman you love turning herself in for a crime she didn't commit."  
  
"No, I'm saying it comes before not noticing that I'm in pain and need to do something to make it go away!"  
  
"And going to prison for something you didn't even do?! How is that going to do anything except make you depressed and stop me from ever seeing you again? Not to mention letting Sunnydale get over-run with vamps."  
  
"That's all this is, isn't it? You don't want me to go to jail because that'd leave you without your little sex toy."  
  
"Little sex toy? Is that all you think this is? Because if that's what you think, I don't know if I wanna hang around. I love you."  
  
Both people's attentions suddenly turned back to the TV as they saw a fight going on there that mirrored their own.  
  
Buffy watched as Spike jumped towards her, in full vamp face.  
  
"Okay," Buffy said, her eyes not meeting Spike's, "maybe I was wrong about the reason why you didn't want me to go. But you still have to let me make my own decisions."  
  
"Buffy, luv, all you do is make your own decisions."  
  
Buffy didn't reply as she saw herself hitting Spike in desperation.  
  
Buffy grinned, relieved. She had tried to hide it from Spike, but she had still been extremely worried about the possibility that she was a demon now.  
  
"Okay, this may seem like a stupid question, but why do you want her to check again? Do you wanna be a demon, or something? Cos if you do, I'm sure we could come up with an arrangement. . ." Spike trailed off, but Buffy ignored him as she watched the screen intently.  
  
"Oh, right luv," Spike said angrily, getting to his feet. "So that's the only reason you wanted to be with Spike. Because you thought you were a demon. Well, that's just bloody great!"  
  
"Spike. . . I didn't mean it in that way."  
  
Both of them turned to the TV, waiting desperately to hear her answer. All they got, however, was Buffy staring blankly at Tara.  
  
"Didn't mean it that way?!" Spike said, trying to cover up his pain with anger. "Well, it sounds like you bloody well did, doesn't it. You just said so yourself!"  
  
Buffy got to her feet and walked towards him. "But Spike. . ." She put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away, and stormed to the other side of the room.  
  
"Don't but Spike me! I've done a whole bloody lot for you, and I never asked for one thing in return! But you still gave me something. You. Or at least I thought you did. But it wasn't a reward, was it? It was a bleeding punishment. Yet another trick to driving Spike round the bend, and get yourself a good shag or two in the process, right Slayer? Well, I may be love's bitch, but I'm no prat." He marched out of the room towards the door, grabbing his coat off the banister in the process.  
  
Buffy ran after him, tears streaming down her face. "Spike, please listen to me."  
  
"Fuck you, Slayer." With that, he stormed out of the door, slamming it behind him.  
  
*******  
  
Half an hour later, Willow entered the living room to find Buffy curled up on the floor, sobbing. She instantly went to her friend's side, and put a comforting arm around her.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?"  
  
Through the tears, she heard Buffy gulp, "Spike."  
  
"What did he do? Buffy, did he hurt you?"  
  
Buffy shook her head, and looked up at her friend.  
  
"No. I hurt him. He thought I was using him, and he stormed out."  
  
"Were you?"  
  
Buffy shook her head again. "No. But he thought I was cos of this whole depressed cos I was taken from heaven thing." A guilty twinge passed over Willow's face, but she kept it hidden. "And now I don't think he's ever going to come back. He wouldn't listen to me, Will. I tried to explain to him, but he wouldn't listen."  
  
Willow frowned, trying to work up the courage to ask her the next question.  
  
"Buffy, if you're not using him, does that mean. . . well, I mean. . . do you love him?"  
  
Buffy looked into Willow's eyes, her lip trembling.  
  
"Yes."  
**********  
  
A/N: If you like this story, please vote for it at the Spuffy Awards. Pretty please with a chocolate covered Spike on top? The web address is in my author's profile.  
  
Please review! 


	21. Reasons

A/N: I know I promised more updates, but I haven't had time. Like the naïve little person I am, I thought that after the exams there would be no more homework. Instead, I got 10 lectures on 'the importance of GCSEs' and then was given a pile of coursework to do, meaning I didn't have time to write until the start of the summer holidays, ie today. Sorry!  
  
Anyway, here it is, and I hope you like it! I'll update again sometime over the weekend!  
**********  
  
Buffy picked her way through the gravestones, looking around intently for any signs of demonic activity. It had been a week since she'd had the argument with Spike, and she hadn't seen him since. Every day she thought of going to his crypt to see him, and every day she decided against it. She knew that if she went it would mean she'd have to talk feelings with him, and that was something she'd never been good at. So instead she patrolled the cemeteries all night, hoping she would 'accidentally' bump into him.  
  
She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed where she was going, and was surprised to see she was standing outside Spike's crypt. For a second she contemplated going inside, but then wrapped her arms around herself and hurried past. She was thinking about moving on to a different cemetery to remove herself from temptation, when a vampire jumped out of nowhere and tackled her to the ground.  
  
Buffy sprung into fighting mode immediately, pushing all thoughts of Spike out of her mind as she kicked the vamp out of the way and jumped to her feet. The vamp seemed very surprised that she had fought back and stared at her in amazement for a moment. A moment was all Buffy needed. She lunged forward and drove the stake through the stupid vampire's heart. The vamp screamed in pain as he exploded into dust.  
  
*I've never heard a vampire scream when it's staked before,* Buffy thought idly. *What a wuss.*  
  
She sensed another one coming up behind her, and spun around, stake raised, to see Spike standing there, looking apprehensive.  
  
She lowered her stake slowly, and said, without even thinking, "What do you want?"  
  
The minute she said it, she regretted it. It had come out a lot more pissed off then she had meant, and Spike visibly winced at the coldness of her words.  
  
"Nothing, Slayer. Just saw you were out patrolling and thought you might want a bit of help. Looks like I was mistaken." He turned round, and started to storm back to his crypt. Buffy stumbled after him.  
  
"Spike, wait."  
  
"What?" He turned back to face her, and stared at her expectantly. Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think what to say under his fiery gaze.  
  
There was a long pause. After a moment, Buffy said, "Have you noticed how things have been different since we started watching those videos? How things that they showed were going to happen never did?"  
  
"Yeah. What's your point, luv?"  
  
"Well. . ." Buffy trailed off, trying desperately to think of the words to say what she felt without bearing her heart open too much. "Maybe some of the things that people said or felt on the videos aren't what they feel now. Maybe things are so different now that some of the stuff will never happen. Maybe people said things that they didn't really mean. Maybe. . ."  
  
"Maybe? You don't sound too sure of yourself, luv."  
  
Buffy groaned, her temper getting the better of her. "Why do you always do this? How come whenever I have something important to say to you, you're always cocky and sarcastic? I try to talk to you and all I get back is your cooler-than-thou attitude. I mean, what the hell is wrong with you!"  
  
"Sorry, pet. I didn't think you had a point. I thought you were just rambling."  
  
"I'm trying to tell you something!"  
  
"Well, you can't be trying that hard or else you would've said it already!"  
  
"I'm trying the best I can!" Buffy looked away from him then, tears starting to form in her eyes. Spike took a step towards her, but she moved until there was several feet between them, and she fidgeted agitatedly on the balls of her feet with her back to him. "I just. . . I'm not good with talking about my feelings. Cos, you know, every time I do I get chewed up and spit out. Maybe you can do the whole heart on your sleeve thing, but it's just not my style." She wiped her eyes, then added as an afterthought, "At least, not any more."  
  
"Buffy. . ."  
  
"Don't. Don't make this any harder than it already is." She took a deep breath as she raked her fingers through her hair, then started again. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry about what happened. I know it doesn't make it better, but I need you to know. I don't know why I'm sorry, because I haven't done anything wrong, but I am!"  
  
"Haven't done anything wrong? I think using me does actually count as a mistake, luv!"  
  
Buffy spun around to face him, her face flushed with rage. "Have I ever said I was using you? Ever? You're basing my feelings on something that I never really said. You know how much has changed since we started watching those videos. What, do you just assume that I still feel the same way, despite everything else? You're such a self-obsessed prat sometimes. And I've just realised I've veered away from what I've been practising all week, but I just don't seem to care! That's a feeling I've been having a lot lately when I've been around you. I don't care what my best friends think about us being together! I don't care that you're a vampire! I don't care that you don't have a soul! I don't care about anything anymore except you! You know, maybe if I didn't love you so damn much I'd get along a lot better!"  
  
Buffy's eyes went wide when she realised what she'd said. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, and she started edging backwards.  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
"I don't know. I didn't mean to say that." Buffy avoided his gaze as she started to turn away, but Spike grabbed her arm and spun her round to face him.  
  
"Did you just say you loved me?"  
  
"I didn't mean to say that. It just came out."  
  
"Doesn't matter if you meant to say it. What matters is if you meant it."  
  
"I can't talk about this now."  
  
"Oh, I think you can. All you have to is say yes or no. S'not that hard."  
  
Buffy looked up into his eyes, and felt them penetrating deep inside her. "Yes, okay! I love you! Are you happy now?"  
  
"Not nearly." And before Buffy could blink, he'd moved down and gently pressed his lips against hers. It was unlike any other kiss they'd ever shared. It was slow and sweet, caring and gentle. It lacked the fire they usually had, but it had a loving feel that they'd never had before. After a long moment, Spike pulled away. "Now I'm happy."  
  
"Mmmm. Me too." Buffy smiled, and melted against his chest. "I've missed you."  
  
"Yeah. Missed you too."  
  
Buffy suddenly jumped onto her own feet, and grinned. "I almost forgot, I've got a surprise for you back home."  
  
"A surprise, huh?" Spike said slowly, raising his eyebrow. "What kind of surprise are you talking about?"  
  
Buffy giggled at the look on his face, then said, "One of the none naughty variety." Seeing his face fall slightly, she added, "But you'll love it. I promise."  
  
********  
  
Half an hour later, Buffy and Spike settled down in front of the computer. Buffy was grinning madly, but Spike was looking confused.  
  
"No offence, luv, but I don't see why this is such a surprise. We go on the net all the time."  
  
"You'll see."  
  
She logged on, and clicked onto her favourites list. Before she could choose the link, however, Spike said, "Did that chick ever email you back?"  
  
"Which chick?"  
  
"The one you emailed about what the AR is and stuff."  
  
"Oh, yeah. You can read it if you like." Buffy quickly navigated through the email account until she found it. She gave Spike the mouse as he scrolled through it.  
  
^Hi^ It said in bright purple letters.  
  
^Thanks for emailing me! I know how you feel. I was so confused when I first started reading fanfic. Everyone's always talking in code! Hope you've sorted it out now.^  
  
^You don't know what the AR is? You're a BBC viewer, right? Sorry, but I don't want to spoil it for you. You'll find out as soon as Seeing Red's shown. Try to not read spoilers before then, cos you'll be happier not knowing!^  
  
^Luv Rhi^  
  
Spike started at the screen in disgust. "She didn't answer our question at all! Stupid cow."  
  
"Yeah, but you know how she said we'd find out once we watched Seeing Red? Well, I looked, and Seeing Red is one of the episodes we've got, so we won't have to wait long to find out."  
  
"Yeah, I guess." Spike stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "So, what's this surprise you've got me? Is it porn?"  
  
"No! It's better."  
  
Buffy clicked on a link in her favourites, and Spike watched as the page loaded. He broke out into a grin as he read the title.  
  
"'Reasons why Spike is better than Angel.' Aww, Buffy, you shouldn't have!"  
  
Buffy grinned. "I knew you'd like it."  
  
Spike started to read, thinking he'd died and gone to heaven.  
  
"'Let's talk about handling failure: When Angel fails something, he tries to kill himself. When Spike fails something, he kills the boss and watches TV.' The poofter tried to kill himself?"  
  
Buffy nodded mutely.  
  
"Always knew he was too pathetic to survive in the real world."  
  
Buffy smiled and read the next one. "'Spike isn't stupid enough to bite a gypsy in the first place.'"  
  
"Too right I'm not. I'm not stupid enough to get cursed! Always thought it was his own bloody fault."  
  
"'Two words: the car. I WANT that car!'"  
  
"Well, they can't bloody have it! That car's unique!"  
  
"I thought you got rid of it."  
  
Spike avoided Buffy's gaze. "Yeah. Got rid of it. Right."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes, and turned back to the list. "'Spike doesn't brood!!!'"  
  
"That's right! I never brood! Brooding's for poofs!"  
  
Buffy ignored him as she read down to the bottom of the page, then burst out laughing.  
  
"What's so funny, luv?"  
  
"This must have been written quite a while ago!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Buffy pointed at a sentence and Spike, leant closer to read it. "'One thing you can say about Spike: he's not conflicted. If he wanted Buffy he wouldn't let fear, angst, or a poor, tortured soul stop him.' I don't see what's so funny, luv."  
  
"That s totally wrong. You were such a little puppy dog when you fell in love with me! All sad and pathetic, digging around for any little compliment from me. It nearly made me sick! You were far worse than Angel!"  
  
"Yeah, well I'm better than Angel at other things, right luv?" Spike asked suggestively, but Buffy wasn't listening.  
  
"Yeah, Spike, sure. You know, I'm kinda tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed."  
  
"Really, luv?" Spike asked, grinning.  
  
"Okay, gutter much? I wanna sleep."  
  
Spike looked disappointed. He stood up and started towards the door. "Oh. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, luv."  
  
Buffy hurried after him. "You can stay if you want. Dawn and Willow won't mind. As long as sleep's the only thing you do."  
  
Spike smiled gratefully. "Thanks, luv."  
  
"I'm gonna have a shower first though. Wanna come with?" She licked her lips, and started up the stairs. Spike hurried after her right on her heels. Now *that* was an offer he wasn't going to miss!  
***********  
  
A/N: I know that Seeing Red has already shown on the BBC, but when I planned that, it hadn't, so just go with me.  
  
Thanks to everyone who voted for this fic at Spuffy Awards! It was runner up! *grins madly* Thanks!!!  
  
Please review! 


	22. Red Thorns

A/N: Thanks for all your suggestions about what I should do with this story. I have, however, decided that I'm going to finish this story. It's been 7 months since I started this story, 7 months I've enjoyed a lot, but I've decided it's time to bring this one to a close and work on something else. I'm not just going to drop it, but instead go to the end I originally planned for the story. There will be two more chapters after this one, and then probably an epilogue. Thanks to everyone who's read this story, I hope you've enjoyed it, and like the ending as much as the rest of it!  
  
**********  
  
Buffy glanced over at the clock on the mantle-piece, and slowly registered the time. Midnight. She should probably go to bed soon, or at least go on patrol, but she just couldn't seem to be able to move from her position on the couch. She was stretched all along it, her feet curled up at one end and her head cushioned in Spike's lap at the other. She'd been lying in that position for hours, watching yet more videos with him. They had both booed and thrown popcorn at the screen when Riley came. Buffy had been grateful to see her bridesmaid dress *before* the wedding, and made a mental note to try to talk Anya out of it later. Spike had watched himself sleep with Anya, and after a moment of insane jealousy from Buffy, she had accepted that she had been a bit of a bitch to him, and couldn't really blame him after the way she had treated him.  
  
Now the last episode on that tape was starting, and Buffy grinned as she saw Willow and Tara lying in bed together, laughing and joking like they used to. She really hoped this was one thing that wouldn't change, because everything else had worked out so perfect apart from that. Willow had never gone over the edge with her spells, Jonathon, Andrew and Warren were in jail after her tipping the police off about their planned jewellery heist, Xander and Anya were still happily together, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, she was completely happy in a relationship. Okay, so Spike wasn't exactly a normal guy, but she'd done the normal guy thing several times, and it had never turned out well. Admittedly, she'd done the vampire thing before as well, and that had turned out even worse, but it wasn't like Spike had a soul to lose, and she knew he'd never do anything to hurt her.  
  
She was brought out of her thoughts when she glanced at the screen and saw herself attacked by buzz saws in the Trio's lair.  
  
"Oh my God, how lame!" she said cockily to Spike, still not moving from her position on the couch. "You'd think if they wanted to kill me they'd actually use something useful like a time-bomb or a room with walls that moved in or something. I mean, sure, go for the geek look, but they've been tracking me all year and that's the best they can come up with? Don't you think, Spike?"  
  
He paused for a moment, and then said, "How about, when they get out of jail, I give them some lessons in villainy, so that next time they try to kill you, it works? Is that what you want?"  
  
"Yeah, that works. As long as these guys get a little better at it, you know?"  
  
"You are a very strange girl."  
  
Buffy looked up at him then, a questioning look on her face. "What? Why?"  
  
He dodged the question, and instead nodded towards the screen, saying, "Look, that Amber bird made the opening credits. Must be nice for her."  
  
Buffy looked over at the screen to see Tara there doing magic, with the words 'Amber Benson' written underneath in white. She smiled slowly. "I guess that means Tara's going be back in the scene then. A fully fledged Scooby again. That'll be nice for Willow."  
  
"And for you. I know you miss the girl."  
  
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Yeah, I do."  
  
*******  
  
"Is that your solution for everything, Spike? Get drunk?"  
  
"Well, every time I try a more active approach, things just end up worse. At least by getting drunk I'm not gonna end up inadvertently staked by a certain Slayer we both know."  
  
"When has taking a 'more active approach' made things worse?"  
  
He looked down at her and grinned. "How about the time you found out I loved you and I chained you up in the basement?"  
  
"Okay, good point."  
  
"Or the time you rejected me so I made a robot version of you instead?"  
  
"Well. . ."  
  
"Or the time I came to Sunnydale to kill you because you broke me and Dru up, but ended up with this bloody chip in my head?"  
  
"I guess. . ."  
  
"Or the time. . ."  
  
"Okay, I get it! Proactive Spike not of the good. Point proven. Now shut up and let me watch it."  
  
"Well, you did ask, luv."  
  
*******  
  
"Looks like you decided to be Proactive Spike after all," Buffy said with a grin. "Good for you."  
  
"I don't like this," Spike said slowly. "These things never turn out well, whether I mean them to or not."  
  
"Well, maybe this time it'll be different, you know? You can't get all worked up over a few bad experiences, can you?"  
  
"Well, that stings, pet."  
  
"You know as well as I do this stuff is different. Besides, it's so obvious I'm being denial girl."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"I know."  
  
Spike looked at the screen, when his doppelganger seemed to be trying to convince her it was true. "Looks like he knows too."  
  
"Wait. What the hell. . ."  
  
Buffy saw herself stumble and crack her back against the bathtub, Spike landing on top of her, pinning her down. "What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
She was sitting up now, looking madly at Spike, but he didn't answer, just stared wide-eyed at the screen. He wanted to look away, but he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights, totally unable to stop watching what he was doing.  
  
"Oh my God."  
  
For a second Buffy thought she had spoken, then she realised it was Spike. He was standing up now, fists clenched, confusion all over his face.  
  
"You got that right."  
  
"What was that?! What. . . I wouldn't. . . I'd never. . ."  
  
Buffy laughed bitterly. "Proactive Spike strikes again."  
  
He turned to look at her then, as if he had only just remembered she was there. "God, Buffy, I'm sorry." He reached towards her but she jumped back, so that she was standing just out of his reach.  
  
"Don't. . . don't touch me right now."  
  
Spike hung his head, frowning. Then he turned and headed for the door.  
  
"Wait! Where are you going?"  
  
"Away. I should have left the minute I found out I could hurt you."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"You saw what I did when I found out. I hunted you down to fight you. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."  
  
"But that never did happen!"  
  
"But it could do," Spike said angrily, digging his fingernails into his palms so hard Buffy could see the slow trickle of blood coming out.  
  
"I thought we agreed that what happened on the videos was nothing like what was really happening any more."  
  
"Yeah, but that was fucking different, wasn't it? That wasn't this. You told me yourself you didn't want me to touch you." He set off towards the door again, but she hurried after him, teary eyed.  
  
"I was confused! Seeing yourself almost get raped by a guy isn't something you get over straight away. I still love you."  
  
"Yeah," he said bitterly. "Well, maybe you should rethink that one." And with that he swept out of the door and onto the street.  
  
"Spike!"  
  
He just kept going, breaking into a run as he disappeared into the shadows, not looking back.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy lay curled up on the couch, her eyes red as she watched the rest of the episode. A part of her wanted to go after Spike, but her voice of reason told her there was no point until they had both calmed down. Another part of her wanted to re-watch that scene, to find the proof that it was an accident, but most of her just wanted to watch it to the end to see what would happen.  
  
She had waited for too long to see Spike appear on the screen again, and when he did it was in a way that reminded her of what she was sure Spike was doing now. He swept into his crypt, his face contorted with anger and guilt.  
  
The screen flashed to show his thoughts, and she saw herself struggling on the bathroom floor. It was gone as suddenly as it had come, and the screen show Spike again. He turned and poured himself a drink, but then the screen flashed to show his thoughts again. The glass smashed in his hand as he squeezed it in frustration.  
  
Buffy wiped more tears from her eyes as she realised that almost all the horrible things that had happened on the tapes were her fault. And she had blamed Spike for all of them.  
  
That triggered something in Buffy's memory from a long time ago. What had he said, when they went to collect weapons to fight Glory? 'I know that I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man.' And after a year of treating him the way she did, he didn't even believe that anymore. Buffy felt sick.  
  
She got to her feet, and stumbled glumly into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. She grabbed a tumbler and filled it from the tap, then went to the freezer to get some ice. She frowned as she saw the blood bags hanging there, then shut the door with a bang. She had forgotten those were there. He spent so much time at her house these days that she probably had more blood for him here than he had in his own crypt. He always needed blood. And marshmallows. She didn't know why, but he always seemed far more fussed when she didn't have marshmallows for his hot chocolate than if she didn't have anything else. *What a macho vampire,* she thought weakly. *What kind of evil villain craves marshmallows anyway? Shouldn't he be craving the still-beating heart of a young maiden or something stupid like that?*  
  
Deciding against the ice, Buffy went slowly back into the living room, and almost dropped the glass at what she saw on the TV. Spike was riding his motorbike on the highway, leaving Sunnydale far behind.  
  
"He left. He really left." She sank back down onto the couch, trying not to cry. *This isn't real,* she reminded herself. *This never happened, and will never happen.*  
  
Now she was watching what she hoped would be the touching reconciliation moment between her and Xander. She hated it when they fought, even if it wasn't real.  
  
Buffy giggled at that. It was funny how no matter how bad she felt, Xander could still make her laugh.  
  
*Or boyfriend,* Buffy thought sadly. *Not much good without him either.*  
  
Buffy jumped a mile when she saw Warren coming up the path, a gun raised in his hand.  
  
He fired wildly bullets flying through the air. She saw herself shove Xander to the ground and out of the way, and breathed a sigh of relief that he was safe.  
  
Then the screen changed to show a bullet fly through the upstairs window and hit Tara in the chest.  
  
"Tara!"  
  
Her eyes got blurry again as she saw Tara fall to the floor, Willow bending over her.  
  
*It's not real,* Buffy tried to remind herself. *It's not real, it's not real, it's not real.*  
  
But another voice broke into her thoughts. *It could be.* That's what Spike had said, right? It could be.  
  
*But it isn't,* Buffy thought adamantly. *It's not going to happen. Everything's different now.*  
  
She gasped as Willow threw her head back, her eyes black. The kind of black they went when she was about to use dark magick. Then, suddenly, then turned red.  
  
It could be.  
  
*Time to call the others,* Buffy thought wildly. *This has gone far enough.*  
  
*******  
  
Half an hour later all the Scoobies, minus Dawn and Spike, were gathered in the living room. As each one had arrived, they had asked about her tearstained face, but each time she had shook her head, telling them only that they would understand soon enough.  
  
She had sat them all on the couch, then taken a deep breath and started to explain.  
  
"Do you all remember that a couple of months ago Spike and I found out that our lives were a TV show?" They all nodded in confirmation, so she continued. "Well, I sorta ordered a few episodes."  
  
"What do you mean, you ordered a few episodes?" Xander asked, eyes narrowed.  
  
Buffy went over to her weapons chest, and rummaged around. A few seconds later she pulled the box sets out of their hiding places under the battle axes, and put them on the table in front of the others. "Here," she said. "These are them. Me and Spike have been watching them since we found out."  
  
Anya picked the S6 box off the table and read the back of one of the videos. "But the back of this one says you became invisible. That never happened."  
  
"No, it didn't. We found out that some of the tapes had stuff that hadn't happened yet on it. You know, stuff from the future."  
  
"And you still watched them? What did I say about meddling with that?" Anya said, outraged. "Why does nobody listen to me? I said it was dangerous. Who knows what you've done by watching them!"  
  
"We haven't done anything! Well, a few things have changed, but they're all good things. I saved a few lives is all. It's all of the good. I promise."  
  
"How can you know? Something might have happened that you don't know about yet!" The ex-demon turned to her boyfriend for support. "Xander, tell her!"  
  
"I don't know. I'm still freaked by the fact that people watch us on TV!"  
  
Buffy chewed her lip, then said, "Well, you're gonna have to get used to it 'cause I've got an episode I think you ought to see."  
  
"We can't watch that!" Anya said indignantly.  
  
"Well, if Buffy wants us to see it," Willow said slowly, "then I guess we'd better see it. I mean, she's been keeping it secret from us for all this time, so to tell us now. . . it must be important."  
  
*******  
  
*This is way weird.* That was the only thought that was running through Willow's head at that moment. That, and *Yay! Me and Tara are gonna get back together.* She didn't get how Buffy and Spike could have done this night after night without getting seriously creeped out. It was so weird, watching yourself on TV doing stuff you'd never ever done.  
  
Almost as if she'd read her mind, Buffy said, "I know it's weird. But you get used to it after a while, and you really need to see this. Just remember what I said. Just because it's shown here doesn't mean it's gonna happen. It took Spike and I a long time to figure that one out."  
  
"It shouldn't be different at all," Anya said bitterly. "It should be *exactly* as it's shown here." Willow ignored her. She didn't know why Xander put up with her. She was always whining about something. Or embarrassing him. Or both.  
  
"Okay, so who are these guys again?" Willow asked, waving her hand at the screen.  
  
"You remember the guys I caught robbing that museum? Well, I didn't catch them on here. They kept doing geeky, 'world conquering' things. They're them."  
  
"Oh. So are they like the bad guys?"  
  
"Yep. They should've been our resident bad guys this year. Of course, I stopped them before they got the chance," Buffy said proudly.  
  
"Good for you, Buff," Xander said, grinning, causing Anya to give him a steely glare.  
  
*******  
  
They'd watched almost half the episode, and the time had passed in silence apart from a few questions from each of them. Buffy side-stepped some of them, not wanting to talk about some of the stuff, such as Spike sleeping with Anya. That was an argument she didn't need to start right now.  
  
She noticed suddenly that they were coming up to the 'bathroom scene'. She realised suddenly that that was what all the people in the chatrooms had been talking about. *No wonder they never actually mentioned it,* she thought bitterly. *It's bad enough without everyone talking about it.*  
  
"Do you guys wanna skip this bit?" she asked quickly. "Nothing really important happens here. If you're all getting freaked out we could skip to the bit I wanted you to see."  
  
"No," Anya said adamantly, while munching the popcorn she had nicked from the kitchen. "I wanna watch it."  
  
"I thought you didn't agree with it. I thought it was dangerous."  
  
"Yeah, well you've already watched it, so us seeing it can't do any more damage, right?" Buffy shook her head in despair at the girl, and then remembered what they were about to watch. Not wanting to be there when they saw it, she said, "I'm just going to get myself a drink."  
  
She raced out of the room as fast as she could, and then lent against the counter, waiting for the explosion. She tried not to cry when she thought about what she'd seen. He'd never do that to her though, would he?  
  
"BASTARD!"  
  
Xander's cry carried through to the kitchen, and Buffy braced herself. A moment later he came storming towards her, Willow on his heels.  
  
"I thought you said you and Spike were happy! I thought you said he wouldn't hurt you! Is that the sort of thing that's been going on between you two?"  
  
"No, that's just. . ."  
  
"Buffy," Willow said slowly, "I know you love him, but if he's going to do stuff like that, do you think it's wise to be with him?"  
  
"He's not going to do that. I told you guys, everything's different now! That's not gonna happen."  
  
"Then how come you came in here to avoid watching it?" Xander said accusingly. "And how come you're shaking right now."  
  
"I'm not shaking," Buffy said, but it wasn't true. She hadn't realised it before that moment, but she was trembling all over, and there were tears in her eyes. "I just. . . I'm a bit upset at the moment. Who wouldn't be? But it doesn't matter. He'd never do anything to hurt me."  
  
"But he obviously would!" Xander yelled. "That son of a bitch." He turned and headed towards the door. "I'm gonna make sure he never can."  
  
"Don't." Buffy said it so quietly she barely heard it herself. He did though, and turned back to look at her. His eyes widened as if he was seeing her for the first time. She was bent over, leaning on the worktop for support. Tears were silently rolling down her face now, and she was trembling. He didn't see all that, however. All he saw was her eyes, wide and sorrowful, begging him to listen to her. "Please don't."  
  
He nodded, trying to calm himself down. If Buffy was that desperate to stop him. . . he'd stop. After an awkward moment of silence, Buffy said, "We really should go back in. You haven't seen what I needed you to yet."  
  
She walked shakily back to the living room, Xander and Willow following slowly behind. When she got back to the couch, Anya gave her a big grin, not seeming to have heard what was going on in the kitchen. "You missed some excitement! That Warren guy attacked this other guy and was super strong. Then Xander came to the rescue and got beaten up a bit. He was alright though. Then he came home and found you on the bathroom floor, and tried to go get Spike, but you wouldn't let him. Now you're researching some of Warren's files. It's very good TV. Like a soap opera, only more realistic!"  
  
Buffy smiled and pretended to be interested. Sometimes she wished she could be Anya. Just happily plodding along, not noticing what was going on around her. Must be nice.  
  
She turned back to the TV and registered that it was once again showing Spike storming around his crypt. She wondered what he was doing now. Probably drinking himself under the table. Either that or fighting a bunch of demons to get it out of his system. She'd go and see him tomorrow, when he'd calmed down or sobered up, whichever it was. For one thing she'd have to explain to him that their private TV viewings probably wouldn't be private any more. It seemed that Anya would definitely be tagging along.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy took a deep breath as she saw Spike leaving on his motorbike. *This is it,* she thought. *Showtime.*  
  
"Okay," she said to her friends. "Just remember that it's very unlikely this will happen. I just had to show it to you all so that we can guarantee it never happens, okay?"  
  
Everyone nodded, and carried on watching. Although they didn't want to admit it, both Willow and Xander had got as into the show as Anya had. They didn't know what Buffy wanted them to see, but they were both glad she was showing them. Apart from anything else, it was fun being able to see what the others were doing.  
  
Buffy cringed and looked away as Warren fired wildly into the air.  
  
"Tara!"  
  
Buffy looked over at Willow, who was staring wild-eyed at the screen, tears already falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Oh my God. Tara!"  
  
The scene cut to show Buffy lying on the ground with a wound on her shoulder bleeding profusely.  
  
"Buffy," Xander said quietly, also staring at the screen. Anya stopped eating popcorn then.  
  
"Xander!" she said. "Xander! Is he okay? He's not shot too, is he?"  
  
"Shut up, Anya!" Willow screeched, crying as the screen showed her again, cradling Tara's dead body in her arms. Then the TV Willow threw her head back, her eyes black with dark magic. The screen faded to black, and Buffy shakily reached forward and turned it off.  
  
"I'm sorry guys," she said quietly. "I'm sorry, but I had to show you. I had to make sure it never happened."  
  
"It won't," Willow said, her voice trembling as she got to her feet. "I'll make sure of it. I can't ever see Tara again. If I do then she'll die!"  
  
"No!" Buffy said. "It's not like that. All the stuff we've seen hasn't happened. I just wanted to be sure."  
  
"Well, now you can. I won't see her again. That'll make it sure. And what about my eyes at the end? I went all dark magicky. I. . . that can't happen. Tara left me because of that. It can't happen. It can't." Willow started shaking her head, tears spilling onto the floor. "I'm sorry. I can't, I can't do this right now." She started to run, and before Buffy could stop her she had disappeared up the stairs.  
  
"Willow!"  
  
Buffy started after her, but Xander grabbed her arm. "Leave her, Buffy. She's just seen the person she loves the most die. I don't think she wants you there telling her it wasn't real."  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"What were you thinking, Buff? Why did you show her that?"  
  
"I wanted to be sure. . ."  
  
"So you keep saying. Why didn't you just tell us? Saved her having to watch that? And, now I come to think of it, I didn't particularly enjoy watching you almost get raped by a monster I hate the guts of, then being told that it doesn't matter. Well, next time you want to ruin some people's feelings, leave me out. Come on, Anya."  
  
He grabbed Anya's arm and pulled her towards the door.  
  
"Xander, wait!"  
  
He stopped and turned to face her, waiting for her to sat whatever she was going to in her defence. But she couldn't think of anything. After a moment he opened the door and left, leaving Buffy all alone. She sank down onto the couch, yet more tears forming in her eyes.  
  
*Way to go, Buffy,* she thought bitterly. *That really worked out well.*  
  
**********  
  
Okay, next chapter up tomorrow. Please review! 


	23. Apocalypse Kind Of Now

A/N: See, it's up today, like I promised! Hope you like it!  
  
********** Buffy was woken up early the next morning when the phone rang. Groaning, she crawled out of bed to answer it. She hadn't gone to sleep until very late the night before, and she wasn't very grateful about being woken up at 4 in the morning.  
  
"What?"  
  
She was shocked to hear Xander's frantic voice at the other end of the line.  
  
"Buffy, they've got her."  
  
"What? Who's got who?"  
  
"Anya. You know those Mohra demons you supposedly killed a few weeks ago?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, they're back in full force. About 5 of them broke into here a minute ago. They took Anya."  
  
Buffy paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and leaning back against the wall. She'd almost forgotten about those things. She'd thought they were gone, and with all the other bits of excitement she'd had since she'd almost completely forgotten about them.  
  
She could hear Xander's heavy breathing at the other end of the line, and realised he was still waiting for a response. After another moment, she said, "I'll be right over."  
  
*******  
  
10 minutes later, Buffy and Willow were in Xander's living room, trying to make sense of what had happened.  
  
"And they didn't try to come after you at all?"  
  
Xander shook his head. "No. They came in and grabbed her, and when I tried to intervene they just threw me aside."  
  
"They? How many's they?"  
  
"At least 5. Possibly more. And I doubt all of them came."  
  
Buffy turned to Willow, who was standing by the window, looking out at the street below. "Did you see anything when you were researching these things that would point towards them taking Anya?"  
  
"What?" Willow, jumped and tried to understand what Buffy had said. "Um, no. At least, I don't think so. I'm. . . not sure."  
  
Buffy was about to say something about how she should get sure, but then noticed Willow's red eyes, and decided to drop it. "Okay. It doesn't matter." Instead she said to Xander, "Have you told anyone else that she's missing? The police?"  
  
"And say what? That a pack of demons kidnapped her?"  
  
"No, I just mean that Anya's not particularly special, from a demon's point of view. They might have taken others as well. Which means the police will probably have had a lot of unexplained disappearances recently."  
  
Xander nodded, then quickly went to turn on the TV, and, after a few minutes, the article they had been wanting to hear came on.  
  
"Soon after the Californian Police have stated they have made unbelievable progress with Missing Persons claims, there was been a record number of disappearances last night. Several people, all from the Sunnydale area, disappeared from their own homes. These people, including convicts Warren Meers and Jonathon Levinson, Doublemeat Palace manager Manny Hudson, and students Katrina Silber and Tara Maclay, have no connections or reasons why they would have all disappeared on the same night, but all their places of residence showed signs of a disturbance."  
  
"Tara?" Willow said in a weak voice. "They got Tara too." She sunk into a chair next to Xander, her face white. "We have to do something about this. Now."  
  
"But we don't even know why they took these people."  
  
Willow frowned, deep in thought. "There was something about a sacred death needed to start this End of Days thing. Maybe that's why they need them."  
  
"But that doesn't make sense," Xander said. "There's nothing sacred about these people. They're completely random. Like the newsreader said, there's no connection."  
  
"Wait a minute," Buffy said slowly, things starting to come together in her head. "These names are familiar. Katrina Silbur. She's the girl Warren killed." When everyone looked at her, she added, "Not really. On the video. But I caught him before he got the chance. And Manny Hudson. . . he was killed by Wig Lady, but I killed her before she got the chance as well. And Tara. . . Tara was shot by Warren, but I put him in jail, so the events that led up to her death never happened either. These are all people I've saved."  
  
"No Buffy," Willow said, as though she was understanding for the first time. "These are all people who should've died. That's what the connection is, and that's why they're special. They've basically cheated death."  
  
"But Anya," Xander said, very pale. "She didn't die in the video. And neither did Warren or Jonathon, so why would they be taken?"  
  
"I don't know," Buffy said, thinking hard. "I haven't seen any episodes where they should've died, and if I haven't seen it , it wouldn't affect it, right?" After thinking hard for a moment, she said, "I've got an idea."  
  
*******  
  
"I don't know about this Buffy," Willow warned. "You don't wanna end up messing things up more."  
  
"But it could help us solve this thing." Buffy quickly clicked the link on the screen in front of her, and grinned as the Buffy Database loaded in front of her eyes. "I knew one of these must exist somewhere on here. There's everything else, so why not?"  
  
She typed "Warren Meers" into the search box, and waited for it to load. "Here we go. Warren Meers." She scrolled down the page to the bottom, where she wasn't surprised to see it said how he died. "Killed in Villains by Dark Willow."  
  
Willow went pale. "I killed someone?"  
  
"But you didn't," Buffy said quickly. "That's why he counts." She thought for a moment, then said, "Warren never shot Tara, so you never went all dark magicky, right? And if you killed him as Dark Willow in Villains, which is the episode after the one we watched, then that means he's not going to die that way now."  
  
"But what about Anya?"  
  
"Lemme look." Buffy typed Anya Jenkins into the search bar, and a moment later, the results loaded. Buffy scrolled to the bottom. "Killed by a bringer in Chosen while saving Andrew's life. Oh God, I'm sorry Xander!"  
  
"No, it doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head, and avoiding her eyes. "'cause you obviously saved her somehow, or she wouldn't have been taken. Which episode's Chosen? And who's Andrew?"  
  
"I don't know. I've never seen that title before. Oh! But I know who Andrew is. He's one of the Trio. I put him in jail with the other two."  
  
"So I'm guessing that for whatever reason that'll mean that he won't be there for Anya to save when the time comes," Xander said slowly, staring intently at the screen. "That means it's snowballing."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You only directly saved a couple of people, right?" Buffy nodded, wondering what he was getting at. "Well, because you've saved those people, you've indirectly saved other people. And because you've saved those people, other people don't die either. It just keeps on going."  
  
"But. . . that's a good thing, right?"  
  
"Well, obviously not Buffy," Willow said, "or these demons wouldn't be after them."  
  
Xander turned on Buffy then, staring down at her, his face flushed with anger. "I'm telling you now, if Anya dies because of this I'll never forgive you."  
  
"She would've died anyway!" Buffy yelled before she could stop herself. "At least this way she has a fighting chance!"  
  
"But at what cost? Did you even think of that before you started having your little video fest with your rapist boyfriend?"  
  
"Oh, don't you start on Spike again! It's not as if you haven't done some less than wholesome things on the tapes."  
  
"Guys. . ." Willow said tentatively, her arms trying to come up between the two of them.  
  
"Like what, Buff? What have I done that's as bad as what Spike did?"  
  
"You left Anya at the alter! And don't forget that you yourself tried to rape me once!"  
  
"Guys!" Willow tried again, but nobody was listening to her.  
  
"Don't bring that back up! That was 5 years ago, and I was possessed. It wasn't like I could help it."  
  
"Guys, stop!"  
  
They both jumped, as if they had forgotten Willow was there, then turned to look at her, looking sheepish.  
  
"Guys, I know you're both upset, but fighting isn't helping. Xander, I know Anya's been taken, but Tara has too. You've got to calm down. And Buffy, Xander's just angry about what he saw Spike do. You can't blame him for being concerned about you." She took a deep breath, looking at each of them in turn. "But we don't have time for that right now. Tara and Anya are in danger, and we don't even know where."  
  
"I do," Buffy said, pushing aside all her anger to take her role as leader. "You said this end of days thing was gonna end the world, right?" Willow nodded, and she continued. "Well, there's only one place an apocalypse can go down."  
  
Willow's eyes widened in recognition. "The Hellmouth."  
  
"Right. So I figure I go to the high school ruins, look around, see what's going on down there and how much time we have left."  
  
"You can't do that Buffy," Xander said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, the high school ruins aren't even there any more. I told you ages ago, Buff. They've started work building a new one on the site. I've applied for a job, remember?"  
  
"Oh, right. Well, then I'll go down to the site, and see if I can still find the spot. It's a Sunday, so there won't be anyone there, right?"  
  
"Right." Willow nodded, and then said, "Do you want me to see if I can find out anything else about this end of days? I know we researched it to death before, but maybe we missed something."  
  
"Yeah. Don't just stick with the end of days though. Look up anything to do with the Hellmouth, or changed time-lines, or interdimensional passages or things involving people who cheated death. There's sure to be something. Get Dawn to help. Just don't tell her they've got Tara and Anya. I need her focused if she's going to be any use."  
  
Buffy turned and started to walk towards the door, only to be stopped by Xander. "You're not planning on going there by yourself, are you? You don't know how many of these things there are."  
  
"That's why I'm not going alone. I'm gonna swing by Spike's crypt on the way."  
  
"You have got to be kidding me."  
  
"And yet I'm not."  
  
"You can't trust him."  
  
"But I do. I doesn't matter what the hell is going on at the moment. . . he'll watch my back." And without giving him time to argue it further, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Xander to stare blankly at the spot where she'd been standing. After a moment, Willow shoved a pile of books into his hands.  
  
"Don't just stand there. Help me research."  
  
Still shaking his head, he made his way to the table and opened the first book. It looked to be about 1000 pages thick, the writing was tiny and as far as he could see, there were no illustrations. *It's gonna be a long day,* he thought bitterly as he started to read.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy stood outside Spike's crypt, taking some deep, supposedly calming breaths. In a minute she was going to go in there and tell him what was happening. He throw a few insults at her, and she'd say he was a pig, then they'd go to the Hellmouth and see what was going on down there. No biggie. But if it was no biggie, how come her hands were shaking so much? And how come she was still standing there, instead of going inside?  
  
She shook her head mentally. She was being stupid. It was just Spike. He'd probably just got himself plastered last night and had already forgotten all about it. Trying to steady her hands, she slowly pushed the door open.  
  
"Spike?" There was no reply. She looked tentatively around, hoping he was just lurking in a corner. But she couldn't see him anywhere. She stepped forward so she was properly inside the crypt, then closed the door behind her.  
  
"Spike?" she said again, this time a little more desperately. She started walking towards the ladder which led down to the underground part, thinking he was just hiding down there. She noticed there were loads of cigarette ends underfoot, meaning he'd done a lot of chain-smoking last night, but there was a noticeable lack of empty bottles, which worried her. If he was as stressed as he had appeared last time she saw him, the Spike she knew would have drunk himself silly so that he could stop thinking about it. And if he hadn't. . . what did that mean?  
  
She climbed down the ladder, and started to look around underground. She wandered over to the bed, and wasn't too surprised to find it was unslept in. She reached forward and gently smoothed down the edge of the covers.  
  
She heard movement behind her and spun round. "Spike!" But it was just a now very surprised rat, scurrying about in search of dinner.  
  
She got more frantic then, searching around for any sign that he was around. His duster lying on a chair, a half drunken bottle of bourbon, his boots tossed carelessly at the foot of the bed. She saw none of this however. There were signs that he had been back, the endless cigarette ends being one, but he obviously hadn't stayed.  
  
She climbed back up into the entrance, and as she looked around one last time, she saw the fridge door was open. She went across to it, and saw all the bags of blood were missing from inside. This confirmed her fear. He had left. She didn't know how long for, but she knew he had gone.  
  
She walked towards the door, and her hand brushed against something on the table as she went. She glanced down and saw an envelope, with the word 'Buffy' written on it in cursive writing. She picked it up, and felt at once that it wasn't just a letter inside. It was far too bulky for that. Curiosity almost got the better of her, but after a violent but brief inner struggle, she put it in her pocket. She didn't have time to look at it now. Her friends were depending on her.  
  
She set of walking again, but stopped at the door and looked back, half expecting Spike to jump out of the shadows and say, "Got ya, Slayer!". But he didn't. Taking one last deep breath, she slowly turned and left.  
  
*******  
  
"I don't know why we've got to go through all these books," Dawn said grumpily, pulling yet another book from the pile towards her. "You've already found loads of stuff about this End of Days thing."  
  
"But we still don't know how to stop it, Dawnie," Willow said, her nose buried deep in another dusty volume, quickly scanning the page as she spoke. "Sure, we finally know details about what's going on, but we don't actually know how to stop it going down."  
  
"Why doesn't Buffy just kill the things? Won't that stop it?"  
  
"Well, I guess, temporarily, but I don't think that'll cut it. There'll be some kind of ritual. Just keep looking."  
  
But instead, Dawn slammed the book closed. "I don't know why I'm even helping. You won't tell me what's going on. You and Xander just keep whispering about fragmented timelines and other stuff I don't understand like I can't hear you or something. And why isn't Anya helping anyway? Why should I do all the work?"  
  
Xander struggled to keep his face calm as he thought of an answer. "Dawn, we already told you, she's working."  
  
Dawn looked around, exasperated. "Working? It's a Sunday! The Magic Box is shut."  
  
"She's doing some accounting," Xander replied, thinking quickly. "You know how she is with her money. Won't trust anyone else with the job."  
  
"Fine," Dawn said, reopening her book with a bang. "But it's still not fair."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy lay flat on her stomach, looking down into the pit below her. The building work was still in its very early stages, and all that she could see that was done was as big gaping hole which she assumed would be the foundations. That or the basement. She wasn't too good at this building thing. If they survived she'd have to remind Xander to explain it to her again. One thing was for sure anyway, and that was the fact that the people of Sunnydale always do a crummy job at everything. Even though the foundations were being put in, there were still piles of rubble and small remnants of walls left standing all around the place. This was good for Buffy, as it gave her cover, but it was bad for the reputation of the building company.  
  
Buffy wasn't really thinking about the building work right then, though. She was concentrating on the mass of demons walking around below her. They all seemed to be Mohra demons, as far as she could tell, and there were hundreds of them. There was no way she could fight them. Not when there were only 4 Scoobies left in Sunnydale, and only two of which had powers. It would be like 1 on 500 combat, which weren't exactly her favourite odds to play.  
  
So now she was lying there, hoping to find some way to stop them that wouldn't get her killed. Rescuing the people had seemed the best bet, but she had already spotted the cage where they were being kept, and it was guarded by at least 20 demons. She could probably deal with them, if Willow pitched in with some spells, but by that time the others would have joined in the fight.  
  
The only other thing she could see that was out of the ordinary about the place was a thin crack somewhere to the left of her, near the cage, where she assumed the Hellmouth was. Nothing seemed to be happening to it though.  
  
She waited several more minutes, and was about to give up and leave, when suddenly one of the demons grabbed someone from the cage and pull them towards the crack. After squinting at him for a moment, Buffy realised it was Manny, the man who should have been killed by Wig Lady. She stared in horror as a demon walked towards where he was held, just above the crack, and slowly and carefully slit his throat. Manny screamed and struggled, but that just made the demons laugh more. Then the demon who held him cut his own hand, and pressed it to Manny's throat, causing their blood to mingle. It didn't cause the wound to heal, like Buffy had expected it to, just made the blood that steadily dripped into the crack shine with a luminous quality. Buffy waited with baited breath, terrified as she wondered what would happen.  
  
She didn't need to wait for long. A moment later an earthquake ripped through the ground, causing the piles of rubble around her to start to topple to the ground. Buffy took this as her signal to go. The information she had just gained wouldn't be much use if she ended up squished under a pile of rubble.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy arrived back at the house an hour later, armed with info about what these demons were up to. It had taken her so long because she had decided to swing by Spike's crypt on the way back, as though he would have magically reappeared since last time she had been there just a few hours before.  
  
She walked quietly into the dining room, to find all three of the other remaining Scoobies sat there, frantically researching. They were searching so hard none of them even noticed her presence.  
  
"Hi guys," Buffy said wearily, sinking into the chair nearest the door.  
  
"Hi Buffy," Willow said, looking up from her book. The lack of a welcoming smile told Buffy that whatever they had discovered since she had left, it wasn't good. "Did you find anything?"  
  
"Yeah. We were right about them being at the Hellmouth. I went there and there were hundreds of the things walking around. And by hundreds I mean hundreds. Hundreds of hundreds. Like, army sized hundreds."  
  
"Well, that's not really a surprise, Buff, after what we found out," Xander said, then waved an arm towards Willow as a way of telling her to explain.  
  
"Yeah," she said, nodding as she pushed a few of the books back into a pile. "We found out what they're planning on doing. I found reference to a ritual involving the mixing of the blood of 'those who live eternal' and 'those who live no more' over the fires of hell. It was a spell where vampires mixed their blood with that of their dead victims to make them stronger."  
  
"I saw something like that when I was watching. They killed someone and the demons mixed their blood together and poured it into the Hellmouth. It triggered of this major, localised earthquake. But I don't see what vampire rituals have to do with Mohra demons."  
  
"Well, it got me thinking, and after what you just said you saw, I was thinking right. What if the ritual was modified somehow? So I searched for blood-mixing rituals and found out some stuff about a prophecy. Where the blood of the 'immortal regenerators', the Mohra demons, and the 'ones who live without right', the people Buffy saved, mixes to bring about the end of the world."  
  
"How, exactly?"  
  
"Umm. . ." Willow pulled a book from the pile, opened it at a bookmarked page and began to read. "'And the blood will mix and fall into the caverns of hell every 3rd hour, for three is a magical number, and all the hells will rumble as the blood feeds the beast. Every drop spilled will make the immortal regenerators stronger, as the stolen life is drained. On the 18th hour the caverns of hell themselves will open and spill the vampires of old onto the Earth. Darkness will spill from the cavern smothering all in eternal black as the armies of the Old Ones march out to reclaim their Earth.'"  
  
Buffy frowned, confused. She wasn't any good at understanding this cryptic stuff, even if it was very basic. "So. . . what does that mean?"  
  
"Basically, every 3 hours, the demons bleed somebody, mix the blood and pour it into the Hellmouth, which makes the demons stronger. After 18 hours the Hellmouth opens, the world becomes dark and the ancient vampires come out and make the Earth theirs again, like it used to be.  
  
"The ancient vampires?" Dawn asked, confused.  
  
"Yeah. The vampires that were around before they mixed their blood with humans. They're like. . . UberVamps. The vampires that vampires were made from."  
  
Dawn nodded her head, her mouth making a little 'oh' shape as she tried to image a vampire that wasn't part human. She furrowed her brow as she imagined what they must be like. *Woah,* she thought. *And I thought Angel was ugly.*  
  
"So, how do we stop it?" Buffy asked. On seeing their guilty faces, she added, "You have worked that one out, right?"  
  
"Not exactly. It says everywhere I've looked that once the ritual is started it's unstoppable. I have one idea though, but it's risky."  
  
"Okay, spill."  
  
"No, give me some time to research it a bit more. I don't like it, but if it's the only way. . ."  
  
"Right," Buffy said. She put her hands in her pockets, and was surprised to feel the envelope she'd found at Spike's there. She'd forgotten about that. Standing up, she said, "I'm just gonna go upstairs, catch a few Zs. If I need to fight these guys, I'm gonna need to keep my strength up."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy flopped down on her bed, then carefully opened the envelope. A single piece of paper fluttered out. Buffy looked at it, hoping to find some explanation about where he'd gone, but all it said was:  
  
Gone on a mission, Will hopefully have a surprise if I return.  
  
I'm sorry for what happened, and hope you can forgive me.  
  
See you soon,  
  
Spike.  
  
Annoyed that it hadn't explained anything apart from the fact he was planning on coming back, Buffy looked in the envelope, hoping to find more. All she found, however, was a tape. She pulled it out, and looked at it. The words on the side that would have told her the title of the song were so scratched she could only see a few letters, so she apprehensively went and put in her cassette player and pressed play. As it was one of Spike's tapes, she was expecting it to be heavy rock music or something equally stupid, and was surprised when she heard the sounds of a piano playing as the song started. She didn't recognise the singers, *Probably some weird British group,* she decided, but went back and sat on her bed to listen anyway.  
  
#What have I got to do to make you love me? What have I got to do to make you care? What do I do when lightning strikes me, And I wake to find that you're not there?#  
  
*Oh great,* Buffy thought. *Just what I need right now, to get even more depressed.* #What have I got to do to make you want me? What have I got to do to be heard? What do I say when it's all over? Sorry seems to be the hardest word.# #It's sad, so sad, It's a sad, sad situation. And it's getting more and more absurd. It's sad, so sad, Why can't we talk it over? It always seems to me, Sorry seems to be the hardest word.#  
  
Buffy started to cry then. The song's tone was so sad, and all she could see in her mind's eye was Spike on the video before *it* happened, trying to tell her he was sorry. And what had she done? Told him to get lost. No wonder he had gone, if she was such a bitch to him. #What have I got to do to make you want me? What have I got to do to be heard? What do I say when it's all over? Sorry seems to be the hardest word.# Another voice came in then, and she thought it was Elton John's. In fact, now she thought about it, she vaguely recalled hearing a different version of this song long ago, with just him singing it. But that made her remember her Mom playing it in the car the night that Spike had attacked the school during Parent-Teacher night, and that just made her cry harder.  
  
#It's sad, so sad, It's a sad, sad situation. And it's getting more and more absurd. It's sad, so sad, Why can't we talk it over? It always seems to me, Sorry seems to be the hardest word.# Buffy was curled up in a ball now, crying harder than she could remember doing since Angel had told her he was leaving. She had felt so lost then. And now she was lost once more, another man leaving her, *literally*, for her own good. So yeah, Buffy was upset. And yeah, Buffy cried. Because crying's what makes you human, and at that moment, Buffy didn't feel that at all.  
  
#What have I got to do to make you love me? What have I got to do to be heard? What do I say when it's all over? What have I got to do? What have I got to do? When sorry seems to be the hardest word.#  
  
********** The song was Sorry Sees To Be The Hardest Word, written by Elton John, and the gorgeous version I was thinking of while writing this was the version performed by Blue and featuring Elton John. Okay, the next and final chapter's up tomorrow, and then there'll just be the epilogue. And I'm a fluffy Spuffy writer, so THIS WILL HAE A HAPPY ENDING! Have a nice day everyone, and please review! 


	24. A Grave Situation

**********  
  
It was a few hours before Buffy came down the stairs again. She didn't really feel in the Scooby space, and she knew that if she went downstairs she'd have to research ways to stop this thing while Xander glared at her in a way that clearly said he thought this was all her fault. Which it was, but he didn't have to rub it in.  
  
So Buffy had stayed upstairs, reading and rereading the note Spike had left, hoping it would give her some clue as to where he was that she hadn't noticed before. But no new words appeared on the page, and eventually she gave up and trailed downstairs.  
  
When she got there she saw Willow rushing about, gathering spell ingredients from the cabinets, debating with Xander all the while.  
  
"I know it's risky Xand, but can you think of anything better?"  
  
"What's risky?" Buffy asked, settling herself on one of the chairs.  
  
"This spell she's planning to do. It's crazy."  
  
"What spell?"  
  
Willow blushed slightly, not meeting Buffy's gaze as she continued to gather ingredients.  
  
"Just an idea I had. You know the one I told you about earlier? It's really the only way to do it. . ."  
  
"It's insane, Will," Xander butted in. "You know that as well as I do."  
  
"Yeah, but we always do insane stuff before an apocalypse, and we've survived this far."  
  
"Wait," Buffy said, confused. "What's insane? If you guys are gonna argue, at least tell me what you're arguing about. What's the spell?"  
  
Willow stopped gathering ingredients then, and slowly sat down in the chair next to Buffy's.  
  
"Well, you know there are far too many Mohra demons to fight," she began, fiddling nervously with a piece of some plant Buffy couldn't identify as she spoke. "Well, I think it's fair to say they're unstoppable, 'cause even if you killed all of them, there are loads more that can just come to take their place. And these ancient vampires that are gonna come up? Well, there are thousands of them. The whole Hellmouth is full of them. So if they come up we're pretty much screwed as well."  
  
"What are you trying to say, Will?"  
  
"That we've lost this one. There's no way the four of us can fight all those demons and win. Even if we call Angel, that'll only add another, what? Six people to the mix? There's not enough time to get the Watcher's Council involved and there's no one else. There's no way we can win this fight."  
  
"Way to go with the optimism, Will," Buffy said, frowning. "If we've already lost, then what's the deal with this spell?"  
  
"Well, all that stuff got me thinking about what actually caused this."  
  
"What did actually cause this?"  
  
"An inter-dimensional blip around the moment that that modem was sent to me. I'd bet you anything that that modem was meant to be sent to a Willow Rosenberg in another dimensional, and kinda got lost on the way. The chances of something breaking through the dimensional walls like that is one in a billion, and the Mohra demons are no witches. This was something completely accidental that the Powers didn't spot until it was too late, not something the Mohra demons planned. They just took advantage of the situation."  
  
"And how does this help us?"  
  
"Well, because of that one blip, things in this dimension haven't happened how they should do. The paths of everyone have veered off course. Only a little bit to start with, but the longer it went on the further away from what actually should be happening it got. There's a very definite moment when things went wrong, and that's where I come in. I can make it so that the blip never happened. I can bring time back to that moment so that things play out the way they should have." Willow looked nervously up at Buffy, waiting for her response, but Xander cut in first.  
  
"That's where I say it's too risky. There's no way you're powerful enough to do this, Will. You could just end up hurting yourself."  
  
"And normally I'd say you were right, but this is different," Willow said adamantly. "It's not like I'm turning time back to alter things to my liking or whatever. Things have *already* been altered, and I'm going to fix them. The moment where things veered away from the natural timeline is going to be very distinct, and the spell will be drawn to it naturally. It'll be as simple as. . . as trans-breed mutation!"  
  
Buffy nodded slowly. "I'll have to take your word for it."  
  
Willow frowned. "Oh, right. Anyway, it'll pull it to that moment, and hopefully the Powers will use that opportunity to put it right, and things'll carry on as normal."  
  
"Great," Buffy said, then stopped. "What do you mean, hopefully?"  
  
Willow avoided her gaze. "Well, there's always a chance that it doesn't get fixed and we'll be stuck in a loop forever."  
  
"And I go back to the risky again," Xander said, frowning. "You can't possibly try this."  
  
"You got a better idea?"  
  
When Xander didn't reply, she smiled. "Good. Then I'm gonna need a few hours to prepare. I need to meditate and someone's going to have to run and get me some more Lethe's Bramble. I'm all out."  
  
As they all got to their feet, Xander asked, "After this spell, will things go back exactly as they were on the videos?" Willow nodded. "Then that means Anya's going to die. Tara too."  
  
"For all we know Anya's already dead. At least if we do this you're gonna live at least another year happily, without knowing what's going to happen to her. And besides, time's a tricky thing. That's why prophecies are so vague. She might still survive. You don't know."  
  
Xander nodded. "Right," he said. "I just wanted to hear it out loud, is all."  
  
Willow nodded, then gathered her ingredients and headed up to her room.  
  
"I'm going to the Magic Box to get the Lethe's Bramble," Xander said. "You coming, Buffy?"  
  
"No. There's something I need to do."  
  
*******  
  
A quarter of an hour later, Buffy crept into Spike's crypt, a video clutched in her hands. The optimist in her made her call out "Spike?" in hope that he had come back, but the realist in her didn't expect him to answer. He didn't.  
  
She slowly walked across the room and settled herself in his chair, and then she stared at the box in her hands. It was the last video in the boxset. The idea of Willow's spell was affecting her more than the others, because she had seen all the tapes. She knew what was in store for them if the spell worked. So, before Willow did it, she wanted to watch the last one, just to see if there would be a happy ending. She knew that she wouldn't remember any of it once the spell was complete, but she had to know. She had to.  
  
She slipped the video into Spike's machine, and waited for it to start. A few moments later, she saw the previously begin, and settled down to what she thought was probably the most important TV show she was ever going to watch.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy was surprised to see that the opening credits no longer contained Tara. She knew she shouldn't have been, but she was almost hoping that it was all a trick, and Tara was fine. She knew better, but it was still good to dream.  
  
Any doubt she had had that Willow could perform this spell right disappeared instantly after watching the teaser. She'd never really thought about how strong Willow had become before watching the tapes. She'd always thought of her as the same girl who'd accidentally started a huge storm just by lighting the barbecue at their beach party, not the girl who could resurrect Slayers and kill huge Gods just by screaming. Her realisation of this fact was both good and bad. Good because she knew that Willow would do the spell right, but bad because she knew just how much damage Willow would do with that power after things returned to normal.  
  
Buffy looked at the screen again and registered that it showed Andrew and Jonathon in jail. She almost felt sorry for them, especially Jonathon. They really weren't bad guys, just a pair of cute little geeks with fantasies on grandeur and a very evil friend who tried to make them come true. It made her sad that no matter what happened, Jonathon was going to die. She thought back to the time when he had tried to kill himself in the clock tower at school and she'd talked him out of it, and the time he had given her the Class Protector award, and even the time he made himself this James Bond type superhero with a spell. He was a good guy really. He didn't deserve to die.  
  
And now she was watching Warren in a bar, gloating about how he had killed her. *That bastard,* she thought angrily. *I hope Willow kills him in the most painful way possible when the time comes. He deserves everything he gets after what he did, the evil, murderous rapist.*  
  
*******  
  
Buffy frowned as she saw the screen change to show Spike prowling through what looked like Africa.  
  
*What the hell is he doing there,* she thought incredulously. *And how did he get there so damn fast?*  
  
He entered a dark cave, and flicked his lighter on to reveal cave paintings. Horrible cave paintings of people in pain, blood pouring out of them and skulls lying in the floor. Buffy almost yelled out at the screen for him to stop, that any place with pictures of that on the wall couldn't be good, but managed to restrain herself. Yelling at the TV was definitely one of the first signs of madness. Only an insane person would do that while watching a TV show.  
  
Once again, Buffy wondered what the hell he was doing there. Why was he seeking a very dangerous looking demon in the middle of nowhere? Something weird was definitely going on.  
  
*Okay,* Buffy thought. *I know he's there about me. Still don't know what he's actually doing though.*  
  
Buffy cringed. She had to ask, didn't she? Spike had gone to get his chip out. But what had that to do with her? She knew the answer instantly. She'd made him so angry he'd decided he'd do anything to get some payback. Or was it payback? Maybe it was just the fact that he wanted to be something. Either demon or man, but one or the other, not stuck in the middle, like the chip made him. She couldn't believe he'd go all the way to Africa just to get revenge on her. Apart from anything else, he could hit her anyway, so what was the point?  
  
*******  
  
Buffy was practically leaning out of her seat as Willow chased Warren through the woods. She was once again reminded of how powerful Willow was. Warren was throwing every trick he knew at her and she was just brushing it off.  
  
And now she had him tied to a tree, ready to do who knows what to him. Not that Buffy cared. He deserved to die.  
  
Willow opened her hand to reveal a bullet nestled there, the same bullet, Buffy realised, that she had taken from her own chest. She watched as Willow ripped open Warren's shirt, and positioned the bullet over his heart.  
  
Buffy cringed as Willow slowly started to push the bullet through Warren's chest. *He deserves it,* she reminded herself. But as she saw the look on Warren's face, she changed her mind. *No one deserves that.*  
  
Buffy gasped as Willow waved her hand, skinning Warren in one quick motion. She didn't want to look at the horrible skinless body hanging there, but she couldn't take her eyes off it.  
  
The body disappeared in a curl of fire, as did Willow, leaving both the Buffy on screen and the Buffy watching feeling very sick indeed.  
  
*Why am I watching this?* Buffy thought. *I wanted to be reassured but it just keeps getting worse. I need to get back anyway. Willow might need me.* But she didn't move, just sat in the chair, waiting for the next episode to start.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy was curled up now, lightly chewing her thumbnail as she watched herself and Willow fight. She'd never really been a nail chewer, but after watching this episode, now seemed like a really good time to start. She'd never watched something so intense in her life, and now her and Willow were tearing up the Magic Box as they fought. *Anya's sooo not gonna be happy when this happens,* Buffy thought idly, as Willow hit her so hard she flew through the counter, glass flying everywhere.  
  
"Yay! Go Giles!" Buffy said, practically bouncing off her seat. Then she caught herself, realising what she had just done, and, blushing even though no-one else was there, settled back down in the seat.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy was reminded once again of all the horrible things that were going to happen once Willow did the spell. All this stuff would come true. She knew that the change had basically caused the apocalypse, but she still preferred this timeline a lot better, even if it was a bit. . . disastrous towards the end.  
  
Buffy waited for Giles' reaction. She didn't know why it was important to her. He'd left her to sort out her own life, and she'd chosen to sort it out with Spike. Who cares what he thought? She did though, and was incredibly hurt when he started to laugh. It was a little absurd, but there was no need to laugh at what had happened to her. She was sitting there, knowing it was going to be her life soon, and she didn't find it funny at all.  
  
*******  
  
*Bastard,* Buffy thought, surprised by how angry she was. He couldn't even keep something like that a secret. He had to tell her little sister, and the only reason he told her was because she was saying Spike was better than him.  
  
*Good for you, Dawn,* Buffy thought with a slight grin. *At least somebody else sticks up for him.*  
  
She pressed the fast forward button as the screen changed to show Spike being tested. She didn't want to watch. She hated seeing him in pain like that. Especially if it was all because she was such a bitch to him.  
  
*******  
  
Buffy grinned as Willow collapsed into Xander's arms, sobbing. Things were working out. Her and Dawn had made up, Willow had been stopped, Giles was back. Maybe she could stand what happened before, now she knew it would work out. Except she wouldn't remember. But it was still nice to know now. The only loose end now was. . .  
  
Spike.  
  
Lying dead on the floor.  
  
Except vampires couldn't lie dead on the floor, could they? She breathed a sigh of relief as Spike moved, slowly getting to his feet.  
  
Spike screamed, and the screen went black.  
  
*Oh my God,* Buffy thought. *He didn't go to get his chip out. He went to get his soul. For me. He didn't think he deserved me so he went to get his soul.*  
  
Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she remembered how badly she had treated him, how badly she was *going* to treat him, and how he still thought he was the one who didn't deserve her, instead of the other way around. Suddenly realising something, she rooted in her pocket and pulled out the note Spike had left for her.  
  
She read over the first line, brow furrowed. 'Gone on a mission. Will hopefully have a surprise if I return.' Some things hadn't changed. She would bet anything he had gone to Africa to get his soul for her. *See Xander,* she thought bitterly as she got to her feet. *There's some good in him after all.*  
  
*******  
  
A small while later, Buffy climbed the stairs in her house to see if everything was ready for the spell. She was met outside Willow's door by Xander.  
  
"Is everything ready yet?"  
  
Xander nodded. "Yeah. We were just waiting for you."  
  
"Oh." Buffy started to walk inside, but Xander grabbed her shoulder.  
  
"Buffy, wait." She looked at him expectantly, and he continued. "I'm sorry about all the stuff I said before. I didn't mean to. . . well, I did mean to, but. . ." He stopped, and raked his hands through his hair. "I hate to see you hurt, you know? And seeing Spike do that, even if it wasn't real, and then you picking him over me anyway. . . it just hurt."  
  
"I didn't pick him over you. I'd never pick anything over you and Will. But he's just as important. Not *more* important, but he matters to me just as much as you guys do."  
  
Xander nodded, as if he'd been expecting her to say that. "Yeah. Listen, I know you won't remember me saying this, but I know I'm going to be such an ass about you and Spike, and I just want you to know I'm sorry about it, right? I'm really sorry."  
  
Buffy smiled and nodded, and they entered the room together.  
  
Inside, Willow was sitting cross legged on the floor. She looked up when Buffy entered, and smiled at her friend.  
  
"You ready?" When Buffy nodded, she said, "Right then. It's showtime."  
  
*******  
  
Buffy sat on the carpet, Willow on her left and Xander on her right, the scented smoke from the incense curling up her nose and nearly making her choke. Her eyes were closed tight and she concentrated on her breathing as Willow chanted in Latin. She could sense the power radiating off her friend, and almost wanted to open her eyes to see if she was glowing, but she kept them shut and tried to concentrate.  
  
A few minutes later, Willow's chanting stopped. Nothing happened. *Great,* Buffy thought. *It didn't work.*  
  
She opened her eyes, expecting to see Willow sitting there looking disappointed and Xander wearing a look that clearly said 'I told you so', but she didn't. Instead, she saw a massive flame. There had been a candle in the middle of their circle to start with, but now it was an inferno. She stared at the centre of the flame, transfixed by it as she saw her reflection staring back at her. Suddenly, images started to pop up when her face had been.  
  
Her talking with Xander outside the door.  
  
Her watching the videos in Spike's crypt.  
  
Her crying on the bed.  
  
Her going into Spike's crypt to find it empty.  
  
Her arguing in the kitchen with Xander over Spike.  
  
The images flashed past quicker and quicker, and now Buffy could only make out the odd few, the few which matter the most to her.  
  
Arguing with Spike in the graveyard, and her telling him she loved him.  
  
Dancing in the Bronze with Xander watching.  
  
Sleeping with Spike for the first time.  
  
Watching Spike cry when they watched Fool for Love.  
  
Going to LA to ask Angel for help.  
  
Going on the internet with Spike and discovering that their lives were a TV show.  
  
Suddenly the images stopped, and the flame crackled out. Where it had been there was only blackness, and Buffy felt herself falling into it, before she passed out.  
  
**********  
  
Okay, the epilogue's already up, so just click that little arrow over there and go right on to read it! Oh, but review as well! 


	25. Epilogue

Here's the epilogue. Hope ya like!  
  
**********  
  
"I don't know why you're so fussed, luv. I'm as good a company as that friend of yours."  
  
"Whatever, Spike. Lets just do this quickly so you can go home."  
  
Buffy sighed, frustrated. Why did she have to go on the internet with Spike, of all people? Didn't Willow know what had happened in the Bronze between them the other night? Well, of course she didn't know, but she could have stayed behind to help, instead of rushing off to college.  
  
She shook her head mentally, then leant forward and typed Mohra Demon into the search box of Willow's new search engine. A moment later, a list of about 10 websites came up. She clicked the first one, and grinned as the Demon Database loaded.  
  
"Here we go. Mohra Demon. Approx. 6 feet tall, blah, blah, blah. To kill it, smash the jewel on its forehead. There. Easy."  
  
She logged off, and headed towards her weapons chest. "Guess I better go kill this thing."  
  
"Want me to come with, luv?"  
  
"Really don't."  
  
"What? You worried you'll give into my fiendish charm again?"  
  
"What?" Buffy spun round to face him, exasperated. "Will you just shut up about that! You're like a dog with a bone. Just drop it, okay? You can come along, but just. . . drop it."  
  
Spike paused for a moment, then nodded. Satisfied, Buffy opened her weapons chest, and rummaged around.  
  
"I'm gonna get some swords. What about you, Spike?"  
  
"Battle axe'll do me fine, luv."  
  
"Fine." She pulled out a battle axe, then noticed something nestled underneath. She pulled it out, and her eyes went wide when she saw what it said on the box.  
  
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 6? What the *hell* is that all about?"  
  
**********  
  
So, that's it! Please, please, please review and tell me what you think of these two chapters, and the whole story in general. Any advice would be really helpful for my next story, which'll probably start going up sometime next week.  
  
Thanks for reading! = ) 


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